To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the establishment of new consultants' posts.

The number of consultants in hospital medicine in England increased by an average of 2·4 per cent. per annum over the five years 1983 to 1988.Regional health authorities continue to plan for expansion of the consultant grade of 2 per cent. per annum. In addition to this, between 1988 and 1990 the Government funded the appointment of 100 new consultants under a pump-priming exercise. A further 100 consultants are to be appointed over the three years 1989–90 to 1991–92 under a scheme announced in the White Paper "Working for Patients". I announced the allocation of the last 65 of these posts on 27 February at columns