To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) general and (b) specialist wards were in use according to data from Estates Return Information collection returns for each NHS organisation in each reporting year since 1997, specifying the organisation code in each case. (284016)

The information is not available in the precise format requested.

Since 2002-03, the Department has collected annual data from national health service trusts on the average total number of general and specialist wards in use over the reporting year, through the Estates Returns Information Collection. The available data for each year since 2002-03 have been placed in the Library.

The information provided has been supplied by the NHS and had not been amended centrally. The accuracy and completeness of the information is the responsibility of the provider organisation.