To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the quantity and value of land held by the national health service in (a) 1990 and (b) the latest available date.

The area of land held by the national health service at 31 December 1989 was estimated at 16,719 hectares. The equivalent figure for I April 1992 (the latest available) is estimated to be 16,158 hectares.The total existing use value of NHS land and buildings as at 31 December 1989 was £23,447,056,000. The apportionment between land and building values at 31 December 1989 is not available from centrally held returns. The total existing use value of NHS land and buildings as at 1 April 1992 is estimated at £21,447,463,000, of which £5,755,453,;000 may be taken to relate to the landholding.