HC Deb 12 July 1956 vol 556 c571
22. Mr. K. Robinson

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the average lapse of time between the submission to the Treasury of a hospital capital scheme of £30,000 or over for approval and his giving his decision.

The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Henry Brooke)

Between two and three weeks.

Mr. Robinson

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in certain instances the lapse of time is considerably longer than this, and runs into many months? Would he give an assurance that this arrangement, which should surely be terminated shortly, will not be used for the purposes of delay, and as a hidden way of cutting down capital expenditure on the hospital services?

Mr. Brooke

There is no intention of that kind at all. In fact, for more than three-quarters of the schemes the average time is no more than nine days, and the average is brought up to two and three weeks by certain schemes which require longer consideration.