§ 72. Mr. G. BARKERasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if, with reference to the terms and conditions of grants to voluntary hospitals as approved by His Majesty's Treasury, he will modify the conditions of paragraph 7, which stipulates that grants made by the commission are to be applied wholly to maintenance and in no case to capital expenditure, so that hospitals in course of erection and whose authorities are in financial difficulties may be able to appeal to the commission for financial assistance to complete the work they have in hand?
§ Sir A. MONDThe Government decided against the proposal of Lord Cave's Committee for a grant in aid of capital expenditure on hospitals on the ground that the hospitals were not paying their way on the existing buildings and that it was unwise to build while costs were so high. I can hold out no hope of reconsideration of this decision in present financial conditions.