HC Deb 06 July 1950 vol 477 cc615-6
19. Mr. Geoffrey Cooper

asked the Minister of Health why the management committees of hospitals conduct their affairs in secret; and why the Press is excluded from management committee meetings.

Mr. Bevan

It is for each committee to decide whether to admit the Press to its meetings, and many, in fact, do so.

Mr. Cooper

Has my right hon. Friend had any strong representations made to him from the public representatives on these hospital management com- mittees to show that when they are trying to improve the service, and find obstruction from officials, only where publicity is sanctioned do they feel they have any influence over the officials?

Mr. Bevan

No, I have not received any representations of that kind. I would ask the House to keep in mind that very often hospital management committees have to deal with very many intimate details of individual cases, and it is not desirable always to make them public.

Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

Will my right hon. Friend nevertheless encourage hospital management committees to the fullest possible extent to issue reports of their proceedings to the Press?

Mr. Bevan

I think that most of them do that, but the Question on the Order Paper concerns the admission of the Press, and I think that ought to be left to the discretion of the management committees.

Sir H. Williams

Does that also apply to meetings at Dorking?

Mr. Bevan

They have had no meetings at Dorking.