asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give a list of closures of hospitals and hospital wards which have been announced or have taken effect since the commencement of the dispute over hospital pay but which are not a consequence of that dispute.

From 30 April to 30 September 1982, the latest date for which information is available, the permanent closure or part closure of the following hospitals were approved. These decisions may not yet have been implemented. None were a consequence of the current dispute but are the result of rationalisation of services to release resources for better patient care. Some are part of the continuous process of replacing old or unsuitable hospitals with modern ones. Comprehensive information on temporary closures is not available centrally.