Nhs Statistics Mr. Ralph Howell To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is (a) the number of nurses employed in the national health service in each year since 1979 and (b) the average number of NHS occupied hospital beds in each year since 1979 for which figures are available; and if lie will show, in both cases, the percentage change in each year. Mrs. Virginia Bottomley The available information is given in the table.----------- |Year | ----------- |1979 | ----------- |1980 | ----------- |1981 | ----------- |1982 | ----------- |1983 | ----------- |1984 | ----------- |1985 | ----------- |1986 | ----------- |1987 | ----------- |1988 | ----------- |1989 | ----------- | | ----------- |1979 | ----------- |1980 | ----------- |1981 | ----------- |1982 | ----------- |1983 | ----------- |1984 | ----------- |1985 | ----------- |1986 | ----------- |1987-1988| ----------- |1988-1989| ----------- |1989–1990| -----------