§ 31. Sir H. Lucas-Toothasked the Minister of Health how many teaching hospitals and regional hospital boards have sent replies to questionnaires by the Law Commission on Waste as between Landlord and Tenant and on Distress for Rent, which he forwarded to them on 30th September, 1965.
§ Mr. LoughlinIn all, 29 boards of governors of teaching hospitals and 13 regional hospital boards.
§ Sir H. Lucas-ToothWhy did the Minister send this lengthy, detailed and highly technical document which is concerned with nothing but points of Chancery law to the hospitals, which have plenty to do doing their own job? Will the hon. Gentleman let the Law Commission know that this kind of activity will bring it the reputation for nothing except bumbledom?
§ Mr. LoughlinThe answer is simply that the hospitals are managers of a considerable amount of property, both for hospital and endowment fund purposes. It was felt that the hospitals were in a position to provide useful information to the Law Commissioners, and I do not think that there was anything wrong in what was done.