§ The Minister shall by order constitute a Regional Hospital Board for Wales for the purpose of administering hospital and specialist services in Wales and the provision of the said services shall be associated wit's the University of Wales.—[Mr. Emrys Roberts.]
§ Brought up, and read the First time.
§ 8.30 p.m.
§ Mr. Emrys Roberts (Merioneth)I beg to move, "That the Clause be read a Second time."
The purpose of this proposed new Clause is to make sure that, when the regions are framed, Wales is treated as an individual region. Subject to what I have to say, I think that is the wish of the people concerned, and of medical opinion in the Principality. I recognise that there are, and will be for a period of years, some practical difficulties if this region is to be administered with headquarters at Cardiff, particularly so far as North Wales is concerned, because the bulk of the consultant service at the moment is provided from Liverpool. What I am anxious about is, that the rural area shall have an adequate medical service. At the moment there is a woeful shortage of beds, and there is no area more in need of an adequate health service. In North Wales at the moment consultants are summoned from Liverpool. That is not an adequate substitute for an adequate health service.
For a while there may be transitory or temporary arrangements. When these arrangements have been sorted out, I have no doubt it will be practicable to administer this scheme with headquarters at Cardiff, and with, say, a sub-area in North Wales, which will enable us to develop to the full an adequate health service. We are looking forward, not merely to a health service but to adequate and full employment plans to prevent the decline of population which is confronting us, which is one of the worrying features of the economic life of that part of the country. It will come to nothing unless we also have an adequate health service. We shall not get that in North Wales if we are tied up with the populous district of the North-West, but we shall have it, if Wales is administered as one region. 1783 This shows a most pleasing confidence in North Wales towards our brethren in the South. It shows we are at one in the matter. I do ask for sympathetic consideration from the Minister.
§ Sir H. Morris-JonesI beg to second the Motion.
I shall not keep the House long, because the Minister is fully conversant with the considerations involved. We are in a special position in Wales but I do not think I need detain the House on that aspect of the matter. Naturally, we want a separate region from a sentimental point of view. I qualify that by saying that there will be serious administrative difficulties in North Wales in connection with this Bill when it comes into force. A committee has been set up which has made special recommendations in regard to North Wales. In my submission North Wales, from the point of view of transport and from the point of view of its history and characteristics, is quite unsuitable to come under the capital of Wales in regard to hospital administration. For many years it has depended on Liverpool and Manchester as the sources of supply of hospital accommodation and specialist services, and although there are some people in Wales who think that North Wales, in the fullness of time, might have a university and a medical college of its own, personally I do not think the population will ever justify that, in any reasonable period of time. When, therefore, the right hon. Gentleman makes Wales a region, as I hope he will, I hope he will take adequate steps to see that it is joined with another region in the North Western area so that its patients and its sick can draw an adequate provision of specialist services from an area nearer than South Wales.
§ Mr. BevanI trust that the promoters of this new Clause will not press it, because, as they will realise, another opportunity will be provided for considering this matter. Upstairs I accepted the suggestion that the delineation of the areas of the Regional Boards shall be subject to Parliamentary approval. Not the constitution of the Regional Boards, but their areas, because obviously there is vital interest in the areas the Regional Boards shall cover. There will, therefore, be a further opportunity of considering this matter. I do not want to write 1784 into the Bill the area of any particular Board, because very many details will have to be considered before a particular board is established. I think that hon. Members need not fear that the solution for Wales will depart very far from their own desires. As the hon. Member for Denbigh (Sir H. Morris-Jones) said, there are some peculiar difficulties; the medical gathering ground for North Wales is Liverpool, and although Wales has a sentimental and traditional unity, God has divided it geographically in a very unfortunate fashion, although with considerable beauty. The result is that medical requirements for Mid-Wales are provided from one area, for North Wales from another, and for South Wales from another. At the same time we do not want the Welsh people, as a whole, to be denied the advantages of being associated with universities, and so we shall have to work out a solution of the Welsh problem which pays proper regard to the peculiarities of the area. I am sure that when we reach our solution, it will be one which will find universal approval.
§ Mr. Emrys RobertsI do not wish to withdraw it, but I do not wish to press it.
§ Question, "That the Clause be read a Second time," put, and negatived.