§ 15. Mr. Boydenasked the Minister of Health the average length of time which elapses between a regional hospital board approving a building project and the commencement of the actual building work.
§ Mr. PowellThe dates of approval by boards do not come to my knowledge.
§ Mr. BoydenIs it not a pity that the right hon. Gentleman's advisers did not tell him that this summer was a wet one so that under-spending on the hospital building programme could have been to some extent anticipated? Is he not aware that a hospital in my area which wants to put up a changing room for nurses will not be able to do so because of the re-allocation due to under-spending? Should not he have taken action much earlier?
§ Mr. PowellI will be glad to look at the instance mentioned by the hon. Gentleman.
§ Dr. SummerskillIn view of the fact that every hon. Member has a right to come to the Minister to ask him about lapses of time between the initial approval and the starting of the building, is it not a little curious that he is never given any information about the approval in the first place?
§ Mr. PowellSome of the projects do not require action on my part, so the approval by a board does not come to my official knowledge at all. But where the project does require my approval, as I say, I am not aware of the date on which the board approves the project.