25. Miss Leeasked the Minister of Health what consideration he has given to the representations made to him by the Cannock Urban District Council, the Confederation of Health Service Employees, and a supporting petition signed by 5,000 Cannock citizens, asking that seven employees dismissed from Ivy House, Cannock, be given the right to appeal against their dismissal; what conclusion he has reached; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithThese employees were dismissed after a full and impartial inquiry into all the circumstances. The question of hearing appeals against the dismissals is one for the county council, as employing authority.
Miss LeeIs the Minister aware that this matter would not have been raised, that there would not have been an appeal 19 by the Cannock Urban District Council, where the institution is, and that 5,000 citizens would not have signed the petition had there not been widespread rumours about the inadequacy of the committee set up and the statement made by the seven people who were dismissed that much of their evidence was never heard? Would he not, therefore, request the county council—as has already been done by the local inhabitants—to get to the bottom of the matter?
§ Mr. Walker-SmithI do not think I have jurisdiction over the county council's administration of its affairs as the employing authority. As I think the hon. Lady knows, these are not employees within the National Health Service and are, therefore, not directly under my jurisdiction. The inquiry to which the hon. Lady refers was conducted by the Recorder of Shrewsbury, who is a learned counsel of considerable experience, and I have no reason to suppose that the inquiry was not conducted entirely properly and fully.
Miss LeeFollowing the conversations we have had together—as the right hon. and learned Gentleman knows, I want a remedy and do not want to air a grievance—has he taken any steps, either directly or through any of his representatives, to get in touch with the regional or the national trade union representatives of the seven people dismissed, or has he got into contact with any of those seven people? I hope that he will appreciate that the matron and the seven people dismissed are now the subject of a great deal of rumour, that something must be done to get to the bottom of it, so that justice is not only done, but obviously done.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithWe have a wide range of contacts, and, of course, following my conversations with the hon. Lady, I have paid particular regard to the matter. Obviously I cannot give an undertaking to dispel all rumours in this or, indeed, in any other context, but I have looked at the report of the learned recorder and I must say that from that report it looks to me as though he dealt fully and fairly with all the matters in the hearing.
Miss LeeIn view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, Mr. Speaker, I beg to give notice that I must take the earliest opportunity to raise the matter 20 on the Adjournment and elsewhere—and outside the House if I cannot get the Minister to attend to it seriously inside.