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Community Health Councils
Sir Cranley Onslow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the procedure for the termination of appointments to membership of community health councils. [40526]
Mr. Horam: The conditions for termination of community health council membership are laid down in statute which came into force on 1 April 1996 There are no plans to review them.
Mixed Wards
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mixed wards were in existence in the most recent year for which figures are available. [40571]
Mr. Horam: This information is not collected centrally.
Indebtedness
Mr. Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from (a) health authorities and (b) health trusts in respect of problems arising from indebtedness; and what extra assistance he is offering in this respect. [40561]
Mr. Horam: Health authorities have no power to borrow and thus the issue of their indebtedness does not arise. National health service trusts have powers to borrow to finance capital expenditure. Such borrowing is controlled by the external financing limit--EFL--which they are not permitted to exceed. Reporting of changes in trusts' balance sheet financing and indebtedness and
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performance against the EFL form part of the year-end requirement to produce audited accounts, which are published.
Hepatitis
Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place a copy of NHS executive letter EL (96) 77 in the Library. [40675]
Mr. Horam: Copies have been placed in the Library.
Hospital Bed Closures
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the number of (a) acute bed closures and (b) long-stay bed closures in London in each year since the publication of the Tomlinson report. [40567]
Mr. Malone: Information on the number of beds opened or closed is not collected centrally.
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| Inner London | Outer London | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 10,335 | 8,881 | 19,216 |
| 1993-94 | 9,708 | 8,499 | 18,207 |
| 1994-95 | 9,622 | 7,977 | 17,600 |
Inner London includes former London postgraduates special health authorities. Totals may not add due to rounding.
Hospital Closures
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals have closed in 1996 and in each of the previous five years in (a) London and (b) each health region. [40568]
Mr. Horam: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) on 7 June, Official Report, column 585.
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