asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated cost of the pilot scheme for Norcall proposed by the Northern health and social services board; and what would be the cost of supplying the same number of telephones to the same people for the same period.

[pursuant to his reply, 13 November 1979, c. 554]: This pilot project, which would provide an emergency alarm system for about 40 vulnerable people, is still being examined. Many aspects of the scheme including the equipment to be used, the allocation of a radio frequency and the cost of the scheme are still uncertain. The installation and rental charges for telephones for 40 people for one year would be about £3,400 unless savings were made by the

	East Belfast and Castlereagh	North and West Belfast	South Belfast
Estimates population (mid-1978)	131,200	178,700	78,800
Staff (whole-time equivalent)
administrative and clerical	388	844	538
social workers and social work assistants	94	149	74
other	3,820	5,606	5,148
total	4,302	6,599	5,760
Total staff per 1,000 population	32·8	36·9	73·1
Social workers and social work assistants per 1,000 population	0·72	0·83	0·94

A major teaching hospital is situated in the North and West Belfast district and another in the South Belfast district. There has been a considerable movement of population from South Belfast and, although situated outside the district, responsibility for Muckamore Abbey hospital rests with the South Belfast district.