Bed Blocking

34.

Mr. Laurence Robertson
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the action his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of bed blocking in NHS hospitals. [29348]

Mr. Boateng
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) on 11 November 1997, Official Report, column 538.