PETITION (HOSPITAL FACILITIES, BLYTH) (Hansard, 6 March 1963)

§ Mr. Speaker
Sir Leslie Plummer.

§ Sir L. Plummer
Question No. 1.

§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport (Mr. John Hay)
None, Sir.

§ Mr. Milne
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, I gave notice to the Table Office that I wished to present a Petition to this honourable House today.

§ Mr. Speaker
I beg the hon. Gentleman's pardon. Apparently, there is an error. I had no knowledge of the fact. If the House will allow me to correct it, I will do so at once. Mr. Milne.

§ Mr. Milne
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I beg leave to present to this honourable House the humble Petition of citizens living and working in the Borough of Blyth in the County of Northumberland. It is signed by leading citizens who have a close interest in and knowledge of the town's hospitals. The Petition has the full support of the Council of the Borough, and one couched in similar terms was signed by at least 5,000 citizens of the town.
I shall not detain the House with the details of the Hospital Plan for England and Wales which expresses the intention to change the nature of the Thomas Knight Memorial Hospital in the Borough of Blyth, but I underline that the citizens deeply deplore the intention to deprive them of their hospital facilities. Wherefore, your Petitioners pray that legislation be introduced by Her Majesty's Minister of Health to retain the present facilities and to increase and expand them where necessary. And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.