§ 38. Mr. K. Robinsonasked the Minister of Health whether he is satisfied, in the light of recent experience of the cost of building new hospitals, that the estimates of the capital cost of the Hospital Plan as set out in Command Paper No. 1604 are still valid; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BarberI would ask the hon. Member to await the second revision of the Hospital Plan which I hope to publish shortly.
§ Mr. RobinsonCan the Minister say when "shortly" is to be? Is he aware that we are getting mounting evidence that the Hospital Plan has run into very serious trouble indeed? We are getting evidence that major scheme after major scheme is being deferred, often from the 1960s into the 1970s, and in some cases eliminated altogether. Does not this bear out the criticisms uttered from this side of the House when we debated it that the plan was inadequately thought out and rushed through for political purposes?
§ Mr. BarberNo; that is quite wrong. The hospital plan made it clear when it was published that the estimates of the cost of schemes were tentative and might need to be modified considerably with the closer assessment of need which precedes detailed planning.
§ Mr. RobinsonCan the right hon. Gentleman say at this stage by how much they have had to be modified? Is it not a fact that the Hospital Plan is now estimated to cost about half as much again as the figures included in the original White Paper?
§ Mr. BarberI would ask the hon. Gentleman to await the revision which I propose to publish shortly. The hon. Gentleman will know from his own knowledge that many of the schemes have increased in scope or cost, and there have been changes in priority which I have announced myself.
§ Mrs. BraddockIn view of the fact that a report was issued on the alterations or improvements that should be made to many hospitals and that starts were made and have now been completely stopped—one case in particular, as the Minister knows, is the Broad Green Hospital, Liverpool—is it possible for the right hon. Gentleman to make a statement giving the arrangements which were made first after the ten-year plan was issued and the changes which have taken place just this year in relation to improvements?
§ Mr. BarberI will consider the hon. Lady's point about the particular case which she has in mind. However, when the hon. Member for St. Pancras, North (Mr. K. Robinson) and his friends make assessments of what the cost may be in changed circumstances, I think that it is very relevant to bear in mind that in the financial year which we are about to start we shall be spending £53 million on hospital building compared with only £9 million in 1951.