HC Deb 06 April 1950 vol 473 cc1354-6
43. Mr. Iain MacLeod

asked the Minister of Health whether he will exercise his powers under Section 16 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, to make a grant to the Peckham Health Centre.

70. Mr. John Cooper

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the financial difficulties which threaten the closing down of the Pioneer Health Centre, Peckham; and if financial assistance will be forthcoming from his Department to enable this centre to continue as a Research Institute under Section 16 of the National Health Service Act, 1946.

Mr. Bevan

As I understand that the Centre is closed, the question of grants for research does not at present arise. The governing body of the Centre have placed proposals for the Centre's future before the London County Council, and I am in touch with the Council on the research aspect of these proposals.

Mr. MacLeod

Whatever the London County Council propose, is the Minister aware that he has a direct responsibility to this House for the encouragement of research? Is he aware that those people best qualified to judge consider that the Peckham experiment was one of the most worthwhile and exciting research experiments in the world?

Mr. Bevan

My officers will be delighted to receive from those who were in charge of the Centre any conclusions in the research aspects of the Centre which they are likely to put before us, but so far we have not received them.

Mr. Oliver Stanley

Is the right hon. Gentleman right in saying that there have been no discussions, even of an informal character, between those responsible for the Centre and his officials? Is his Ministry not in possession of the new plans for research?

Mr. Bevan

What I said was that we would be very delighted to examine any conclusions reached on the research aspects of the Centre, which has been in existence for many years. I will again make inquiries, but, as far as I know, I do not believe we have had any concrete conclusions.

Mr. Wyatt

Will my right hon. Friend act with some speed in this matter, because the work of the Centre is suspended for only three months? If it cannot reopen at the end of that period, it will have to close for good. It is not sufficient to leave the matter to be settled by the L.C.C.

Mr. Bevan

There are two aspects of the matter. There is the health centre aspect of it, which first must be discussed by the local authority concerned, who are responsible for putting up proposals for health centres, and there are the research aspects of the matter, which are the concern of the Ministry of Health and the Medical Research Council. Those two things have to be considered together.

Mr. Stanley

Will the right hon. Gentleman—I am sure he will—bear in mind that although temporary arrangements have been made to carry on the Centre, there is a definite limit to them? The result of these negotiations is very urgently awaited.

Mr. Bevan

I am very well aware that many hon. Members are most anxious about the Centre, as are many people in the country. As I have informed the House before, a special sub-committee of the Central Health Service Council is examining the whole question of health centres. I am awaiting their report, and this matter will be considered in conjunction with it.

Major Vernon

In view of the fact that the research aspect of this work goes beyond the strictly medical field, will my right hon. Friend consider discussing it with the Advisory Council on Scientific Policy?

Mr. Bevan

It is because it goes directly beyond the medical field that it has some very interesting features about it. That is the claim it makes, that it is as much a social as a medical experiment. What we are trying to do is to assess the social significance of the Centre in so far as we can.