HC Deb 06 December 1954 vol 535 cc582-3
9. Mr. Collins

asked the Minister of Health if he will provide money for new capital projects in mental health during 1955–56 in addition to developments already authorised.

Mr. Iain Macleod

I have no doubt that regional hospital boards will continue to give all possible priority to such projects in framing their capital programmes. As regards centrally financed work, I am unable to add to the reply given to the hon. Member for St. Pancras, North (Mr. K. Robinson) on 22nd November.

Mr. Collins

Is the Minister aware that the reply he then gave to my hon. Friend was extremely disappointing, and that if that policy continues it means that a number of schemes for the relief of overcrowding in mental hospitals which have been deferred many years will have to be deferred considerably longer? Is it not possible, by means of economies in other directions, to consider a further special extension of the "mental million"?

Mr. Macleod

I should like to spend more, but I cannot agree that the answer is disappointing when we are proposing to spend £1⅓ million under this one heading.

In reply to the second part of the supplementary question, I am always looking for economies. If one can find them, I know of no higher priority in the whole of the hospital field than the mental service.

Mr. K. Robinson

Is the Minister aware that, ever since the appointed day, the amount devoted to capital works on the mental health side has always been an inadequate proportion of an inadequate total sum, and that even though the proportion has been slightly improved lately, the amount available is still quite inadequate to meet the urgent needs of this service?

Mr. Macleod

I do not dispute that the amount of money only scratches the surface of need, as would almost any amount of money that could be provided at present. But, we must also take into account that the percentage has been increasing amongst the regional hospital boards and that, on top of this, we are having both the "mental million" and the large schemes, which show that a fairly respectable percentage—I am not arguing about the size of the amount—is now devoted to the mental service.