§ 13. Mrs. AdamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet the chairman of Argyll and Clyde health board to discuss the management of hospitals.
§ Mr. StewartMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans to meet the chairman of Argyll and Clyde health board at present, but my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State meets health board chairmen regularly.
§ Mrs. AdamsI was gravely concerned when I saw the Under-Secretary of State rising, because I knew that I would not get an answer to my question. Does the Minister accept that we are told that we have a listening Government who consult the people on the management of hospitals, on water privatisation and on the governance of Scotland? Will the Government give us one iota of 289 evidence of their having listened to the results of consultations and of their having implemented the results of those consultations?
§ Mr. StewartI gave the hon. Lady a completely accurate answer to her question. If she is asking about the consultation process in relation to the application for trust status by the Royal Alexandra hospital in Argyll and Clyde, I can assure her that my right hon. Friend will look carefully at all the evidence and arguments.
§ Mr. GrahamWhen the Secretary of State meets the chairman, will he consider testing properly the democratic rights of the people of Renfrewshire by giving them the opportunity to vote to see whether they accept our local hospital becoming a trust? I am sure that if a ballot were held, the Secretary of State would get the clear message from the people of Renfrewshire that they have no truck with the Tory trust.
§ Mr. StewartThe hon. Gentleman expresses himself with his customary clarity on these matters. My right hon. Friend will consider the representations made in his customarily objective, well-reasoned and non-partisan way.