Birmingham (Acute Patients' Beds) Mr. Litterick asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many acute patients' hospital beds in the Birmingham health area are currently occupied by geriatric patients. Mr. Deakins I regret that this information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate time and expense. Mr. Litterick asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average daily cost of maintaining an acute patient hospital bed in the Birmingham health area; and what is the cost of maintaining a bed in a geriatric hospital or ward and of a place in an old people's home in Birmingham. Mr. Deakins Provisional figures for the year ended 31 March 1978 indicate that the average daily cost of maintaining a patient in an acute hospital in the Birmingham Health Area was £37·17 and that in a geriatric hospital £17·14. Separate figures for geriatric wards in other types of hospital are not available. Information provided by the local authority shows that the average daily cost of a place in the old people's homes run by the Birmingham metropolitan district council was £5·69.