§ 19. Mr. George Chetwyndasked the Minister of Health what cuts are planned in the hospital building programme.
§ 22. Mr. G. Thomasasked the Minister of Health the estimated cuts planned in the hospital building programme in Wales.
§ Mr. CrookshankNo cuts are planned at present, beyond what may result from the decision announced on 7th November by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to delay the granting of starting dates. This matter is, of course, one of those which the Government are reviewing in considering how to make the best use of the available building resources.
§ Mr. ChetwyndCan the right hon. Gentleman say when these cuts will be made, and whether they will be announced before the Recess?
§ Mr. CrookshankNo, Sir, I could not say.
§ Mr. ThomasCould the right hon. Gentleman give an estimate of the effect of these cuts on the proposed building programme in the Principality?
§ Mr. CrookshankNo, Sir.
§ 20. Miss Irene Wardasked the Minister of Health what was the total estimated saving envisaged by the instruction issued to regional hospital boards prior to 25th October to cut their estimated capital expenditure designed to provide the necessary services for which they are responsible under the National Health Service.
§ Mr. CrookshankOwing to the demands of the defence programme on building resources, the value of the hospital capital works to be undertaken in 1951 had by 25th October been reduced by about £1½ million below what had originally been proposed, though the reduced figure remained higher than the value of the works actually carried out in 1950.
§ 30. Miss Wardasked the Minister of Health if he will obtain the details of the schemes which have been postponed by the regional hospital boards as a result of the instructions issued prior to 25th October to cut their estimates on capital expenditure.
§ Mr. CrookshankI do not think that the value of this detailed information would be commensurate with the labour involved in obtaining it.
§ Miss WardCould my right hon. Friend say whether the elimination by the Regional Hospital Board of a nurses training school in Tynemouth, which is fully equipped and ready to open, is a help to the defence programme? Does my right hon. Friend think that the Conservative pledge to give better service for money expended would be forwarded by a failure to be fully informed of the situation in the regions?
§ Mr. CrookshankI should like to see that question on the paper. All that I have been asked for now is a long list of details about a lot of schemes. I should like to have notice of any particular scheme in which my hon. Friend is so rightly interested.