asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of the private hospitals which have become operational in Great Britain in the past three years are either predominantly or exclusively for acute patient care and elective surgery and how many for the needs of the chronically ill, the geriatric and the mentally ill and handicapped.

Information in the form requested is not kept by the Department, but from 1 January 1978 to 30 June 1981, 117 premises were newly registered under the Nursing Homes Act 1975. Of these, 30 offered surgical facilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proposals for private hospitals have been notified to him or authorised by him under the Health Services Act 1976 as amended by the Health Services Act 1980 since 1 December 1981.

Since 1 December 1981 my right hon. Friend has not given any authorisations for the development of private hospitals, but he has received and acknowledged nine notifications of intention to apply for planning permission for proposed private hospital developments as in the table following: