§ 29. Mr. Liptonasked the Minister of Health how many doctors and dentists have, in each of the past three years, had 9 their pay withheld for breach of duty under the National Health Acts; and what were the total sums involved.
§ Mr. PowellThe figures are 86, 81 and 120; £3,941, £3,978 and £3,914.
§ Mr. LiptonI thank the Minister for that information, which will be very useful in connection with the Adjournment debate I have on Friday about naming guilty doctors and dentists. Pending that debate, will he confirm that although the names of these offending doctors and dentists are supposed to be secret, any newspaper that wants to publish their names is not breaking the law if it does so?
§ Mr. PowellIt is not for me to say whether any law is broken by a newspaper doing this or doing that, but I am certainly at the disposal of the hon. Gentleman for information that might be of use to him in an Adjournment debate.