§ 46. Mr. Harry Wallaceasked the Prime Minister whether he has now received and considered the report of the Committee, the appointment of which he announced on 1st June, 1949, to examine, with a view to the best use of medical resources and the avoidance of overlapping, the relationship between the health services provided for the general public and the various health services at present provided in industry which make a call on medical manpower.
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir. The Committee's Report is being published today as a White Paper. The Committee have found that, in general, doctors and nurses are well employed in the industrial health services without overlapping with the general health services; and they do not think that any developments of the industrial health services likely to take place in the immediate future will prejudice the general position in this respect.
The Report recommends that development of the industrial health services should be encouraged and properly coordinated with the general health services, and it makes recommendations for the establishment of co-ordinating machinery to that end. I should like particularly to invite the attention of employers to paragraphs 72 and 73 of the Report, which refer to the need for close collaboration with other organisations providing health services and for consultation with the appropriate Government Departments.
The Government accept the Report generally, subject to detailed consideration of the co-ordination machinery proposed. Accordingly, although the need for the utmost economy in the use of 1739 medical manpower still persists, the suggestion I made on 1st June, 1949, that further development of industrial health services should be postponed for the time being, is to be regarded as no longer operative.
§ Mr. WallaceMay I thank my right hon. Friend for his reply, which, I am sure, will give great satisfaction?