To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 16 January, Official Report, column 549, on what date he invited the Sheffield children's hospital to co-ordinate the monitoring of the occupancy of intensive care paediatric beds; on what date the hospital agreed to co-ordinate the monitoring; and if the decision was taken by the trust. [12319]

We asked the chief executive of Sheffield children's hospital national health service trust to help us arrange this exercise on 20 December 1995 and he agreed immediately. I am most grateful for the trust's co-operation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 16 January, Official Report, column 549, on what date the Sheffield children's hospital commenced the monitoring of the occupancy of intensive care paediatric beds; what resources are to be put into the monitoring exercise; and at what intervals each hospital asked for an information update. [12321]

On 23 January. An administrator has been appointed to collect and analyse daily returns from the paediatric intensive care units.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis Ministers judged the adequacy of intensive care paediatric beds before their monitoring by Sheffield Children's hospital. [12322]

It is for health authorities to assess the health needs of their resident populations and contract for the services necessary to meet their needs. The arrangements we have made for Sheffield children's hospital to undertake a national survey of occupancy and demand for paediatric intensive care beds will assist them with this task.