§ 31. Mr. K. Robinsonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has now reached a decision on the recommendation of the Guillebaud Committee that hospital capital schemes of less than £100,000 should no longer require individual approval by the Treasury.
§ Mr. H. BrookeYes, Sir. Hospital capital schemes costing less than £60,000 no longer require individual approval by the Treasury.
§ Mr. RobinsonIs the Financial Secretary aware that the regional hospital boards will tender to the Chancellor their half-hearted thanks for his: having gone half-way to meeting this recommendation? Can he tell the House why it has not been possible to go the whole way to meeting this very modest recommendation in the Report?
§ Mr. BrookeI had hoped that the hon. Member, as a member of a regional hospital board, would have been wholehearted on this occasion. The fact is that £60.000 is double the previous limit of £30,000, which is the limit that already applies to most other civil and defence building paid for by the Exchequer.