To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give for each year since 1970 the number of patients on hospital in-patient waiting lists in Scotland at 30 March and 30 September of each year.

The information available is set out in the table.

Number of persons on waiting lists for NHS hospitals at 31 March and 30 September, Scotland
Year	31 March	30 September
1970	57,305	51,482
1971	51,675	48,066
1972	n/a	52,468
1973	n/a	61,079
1974	n/a	56,182
1975	n/a	53,770
1976	54,442	52,765
1977	53,974	54,715
1978	56,987	61,481
1979	76,968	71,247
1980	70,195	67,387
1981	67,908	65,228
1982	66,880	86,365
1983	96,933	86,338
1984	85,543	83,077
1985	79,262	77,677
1986	81,249	80,732
1987	81,324	77,772
1988	67,226	63,569
1989	61,011	—

The statistical system on which these figures are collected including the revision which took place in 1988 is explained in ISD Statistical Bulletin 1/88, a copy of which is in the Library.