asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what, pursuant to his answer of 19 January, Official Report, column 448, was the source of the figure on the number of acute beds in the Blackburn, Hyndburn, and Ribble Valley health authority in 1979 and 1985; and when the information was obtained.

The figures were supplied to the Department by the North Western regional health authority. The date the 1979 figures were received has not been recorded. The 1985 figures were received in the first week of July 1986.