Newsham Genera! Hospital, Liverpool (Hansard, 17 June 1963)

§ 29. Mrs. Braddock
asked the Minister of Heath if he has considered the request of the Liverpool Regional Hospital Board to be allowed to proceed with certain schemes submitted to him under the arrangement, Monies to Relieve Unemployment, sent to him at the beginning of May, 1963; and when permission under these arrangements can be expected in order to complete the hacking and plastering of the remaining section of the walls in the main corridor at Newsham General Hospital, Liver pool.

§ Mr. Braine
It is for the Board to decide when to start this scheme. There is no proposal to increase their current allocation.

§ Mrs. Braddock
Is it not a fact that the Ministry has asked regional hospital boards to consider schemes under a certain amount in order to relieve unemployment and that details of such schemes were sent in by the Liverpool Regional Hospital Board nearly two months ago? When will we have some indication that jobs of this sort will be allowed to be done, in view of the fact that the Ministry has asked for this?

§ Mr. Braine
The hon. Lady is correct in the first part of her supplementary question. In January, my right hon. Friend authorised the Board to undertake additional works at a total cost of £76,174 provided that they could be started before the end of the financial year and completed within six months. The scheme to which the hon. Lady's Question refers is estimated to cost £972. This is entirely a matter for the Board to decide within its priorities.

§ Mrs. Braddock
May I press this matter, because that is not the information which the management committee has been given? We are given to understand that the Ministry has to sanction the schemes under this arrangement before the Board can get on with them. If there is some difficulty about this matter, will the hon. Gentleman make it perfectly clear to the regional hospital boards that they can proceed without the sanction of the Ministry?

§ Mr. Braine
I must emphasise that this is entirely a matter for the regional hospital boards. With regard to the allocation of funds for work to be done for the general purpose the hon. Lady has in mind, my right hon. Friend made his decision last January.