§ 31. Mr. Blenkinsopasked the Minister of Health whether he will make a statement on the rejection or deferment of capital schemes for the provision of welfare accommodation for elderly persons.
§ Mr. TurtonSince 1st April, loan sanctions have been postponed on schemes to the value of £900,000, including nine new buildings, and have been issued or promised on schemes to the value of £980,000, including 13 new buildings.
§ Mr. BlenkinsopIn view of that shocking statement, is it not hypocritical for the right hon. Gentleman to go about the country saying that local authorities should go ahead and provide accommodation for the elderly and infirm, when he knows perfectly well that he is not providing the cash to enable it to be done?
§ Mr. TurtonNo, that is not so. In view of the amount of building work that is being carried out at the present time, in which the hospital building programme plays a not unimportant part, it has been necessary to restrict new loan sanctions to essential needs of the old people, and to choose the most urgent projects. This will mean that those loan sanctions which were given before April and the ones which I have mentioned in answer to this Question will constitute the present building programme for old people's hostels. Then, in the autumn, the matter will again be reviewed.
§ Mr. BlenkinsopIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that I have here a list of some of the cases that have been, as he says, postponed, although we do not know for how long, while, in fact, every one of us knows that waste and extravagance are going on in building petrol stations and business offices all over the country? Will the right hon. Gentleman say why he allows it?
§ Mr. TurtonI am satisfied that my hospital building programme this year, which will be £4¼ million more than for 1950–51, will help a great deal to put this situation right.