7. Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Minister of Health if, in view of the fact that non-medical staff of the regional hospital boards have increased in numbers from 2,440 in 1949 to 5,260 in 1959, and that similar staff of the hospital management committees have increased from 334,334 to 415,016 in a similar period, he will issue directives to the boards and committees drawing their 16 attention to these increases and to the necessity for economising in manpower and salaries.
§ Mr. PowellI intend in every way I can to encourage boards and committees to pursue economy.
Mr. Gresham CookeI thank my right hon. Friend for that reply, but is he aware that the clerical, non-medical staff of these hospitals has gone up by about 40,000 in the last ten years, with an increased salary bill of, perhaps, £50 million? This is one of the very large factors responsible for the increase in the National Health Service bill as a whole, so every effort must be taken to check that in the future.
§ Mr. PowellMy figures are not quite the same as my hon. Friend's. I am sure he will appreciate that a great part of these figures and of the increase, relates to nurses and midwives.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonContrary to the implications of the hon. Gentleman's Question, would not the Minister agree that the administrative costs for the Health Service are still extremely low considering the size and complexity of the operations of the Service?
§ Mr. PowellThat may be so, but we can never be satisfied that we have the maximum economy in this as in other aspects of administration.