HC Deb 30 April 1953 vol 514 cc2342-3
44. Mr. Linstead

asked the Minister of Health whether he is yet able to give the names of the members of the Committee which is to inquire into the cost of the Health Service.

Mr. Iain Macleod

Yes, Sir. In addition to Mr. Guillebaud who, as the House knows, has accepted the chairmanship, the Secretary of State and I invited the following to join this small committee, and I am glad to say they have accepted: Professor J. W. Cook, Professor of Chemistry at Glasgow University; Sir Geoffrey Vickers, a member of the National Coal Board; and Sir John Maude, Secretary to the Ministry of Health from 1940–45 and subsequently Deputy Chairman of the Local Government Boundary Commission. At the same time we invited the Trades Union Congress to nominate a member and, on their nomination, I am happy to say that Miss B. A. Godwin, member of the T.U.C. General Council and Assistant General Secretary of the Clerical and Administrative Workers Union, will also be a member of the committee.

The Secretary of State and I would like to express our gratitude to all of these for agreeing to help us in this way.

Mr. Marquand

How many of these ladies and gentlemen, or the persons who nominated them, indicated unwillingness to serve until the Minister had assured them that the words in his terms of reference: to avoid a rising charge were no longer applicable?

Mr. Macleod

The only question raised to my knowledge—and I think I am right in this—was by the Trades Union Congress, who asked for a clarification of one of the terms of reference, which I was very happy to give them.

Mr. W. Griffiths

Has the Minister's attention been directed to a report in the "Daily Express" of 2nd April which purports to give an interview with Mr. Guillebaud under the heading, "Mr. Guillebaud seeks cuts," in which he is quoted directly as having said that he regards his task as being to see how far it is possible to cut the cost? Further, the report stated that he was asked whether he regarded it is being still possible to secure more efficiency, and he replied that he believed that that could be secured and the cost kept down. Does the Minister think that that is the sort of observation that an independent chairman, acting in a judicial capacity, should make on the first day after the announcement of his appointment?

Mr. Macleod

I am very glad to have my attention drawn by the hon. Member to the observations reported in the "Daily Express" of 2nd April. Perhaps, in return, I may draw the attention of the hon. Member to the report in the "Daily Express" a few days later in which this report was denied.

Mr. J. N. Browne

Is the Minister aware that the right hon. Member for Middlesbrough, East (Mr. Marquand) is reported in the "Manchester Guardian" of 11th April as having stated: nobody who commands the confidence of any large body of organised workers would agree to serve on the … committee. How does the Minister reconcile this important and authoritative statement with the announcement he has just made that the T.U.C. have nominated a candidate?

Mr. Macleod

Both my Socialist predecessors have made some very silly observations on this point.