HC Deb 11 December 1967 vol 756 cc9-12
29. Mr. Maurice Macmillan

asked the Minister of Health what additional funds a-e to be made available to maintain the hospital building programme, in view of rising costs as a result of devaluation.

30. Mr. Dean

asked the Minister of Health what additional funds are to be made available to maintain the local authority health and welfare capital programmes, in view of rising costs as a result of devaluation.

50 and 51. Mr. Holland

asked the Minister of Health (1) what additional funds are to be made available to maintain the hospital building programme in the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board area, in view of rising costs as a result of devaluation;

(2) what additional funds are to be made available to maintain the local authority health and welfare capital building programme, in view of rising costs as a result of devaluation.

56. Mr. Goodhart

asked the Minister of Health what estimate he has made of the additional cost that will be incurred by the National Health Service and his Department as a result of devaluation.

58 and 59. Mr. Fortescue

asked the Minister of Health (1) what additional funds are to be made available to maintain the hospital building programme in the Liverpool Regional Hospital Board area in view of rising costs as a result of devaluation;

(2) what additional funds are to be made available to maintain the local authority health and welfare capital building programme in Liverpool in view of rising costs as a reult of devaluation.

Mr. K. Robinson

The effect of devaluation on Government expenditure is still under consideration and it is too early to make a statement.

Mr. Macmillan

But is the Minister aware that even on his own admission the rate of increase of hospital building expressed as a percentage of gross investment is not rising as fast as it did? Is he prepared to give an undertaking to the House at this stage that devaluation will not cause the proportion of total of gross fixed investment to rise even more slowly—the proportion devoted to hospital building?

Mr. Robinson

I do not accept the premises of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question. If he would like to put a Question down I shall be very glad to answer it.

Mr. Dean

On the local authority side, does the Minister recollect that there has already been a cut—last year—of £3 million on capital programmes, and that unless more money is made available his plans for the local authority services will fall even further behind his original plans?

Mr. Robinson

It is not expected that devaluation will result in costs of the local authorities' capital programmes rising by all that much, or, indeed, very rapidly.

Mr. Holland

Will the Minister give a categorical assurance that rising costs will not cause any delay in the establishment of the university hospital in Nottingham, a project which is eagerly awaited there?

Mr. Robinson

I understand the hon. Gentleman's concern, but he will understand that I cannot give a categorical assurance while the matter is under consideration.

Mr. Goodhart

Does the Minister expect that the cost of drug imports, now running at £15 million a year, will go up and up, and if so by how much? Does the right hon. Gentleman expect that foreign-owned drug companies which now control two-thirds of the drug industry in this country, will change their pricing policies? Does he appreciate that devaluation makes the brain drain of doctors and nurses even more attractive?

Mr. Robinson

I have no idea how the pharmaceutical industry will react to the effects of devaluation, but, no doubt, this will emerge in due course.

Mr. Fortescue

Will the right hon. Gentleman undertake that there will be no reduction in the capital programme in Liverpool without consultation with the regional hospital board and the Liverpool United Hospitals' Board?

Mr. Robinson

I can only give the hon. Gentleman the assurance that the allocation to regional boards will be conducted in future with the same scrupulous fairness as it has in the past.

Dr. Summerskill

Would my right hon. Friend not agree that when previous Conservative administrations were faced with financial crises they consistently slowed down hospital building programmes and cut social services?

Mr. Robinson

That, I think, is a fact, and my hon. Friend will remember that on the two previous occasions when there had to be a cutback in Government expenditure the hospital building programme remained unscathed.

Dr. John Dunwoody

In view of the suggestions in the national Press over the weekend that there may be cuts in ex- penditure on the Health Service, will my right hon. Friend assure the House that he will resist any efforts to reduce expenditure not only on the hospital building programme but on the Health Service as a whole?

Mr. Robinson

I take note of what my hon. Friend says.

Lord Balniel

The right hon. Gentleman has not given any figures. Does he accept that the only way to honour the Prime Minister's pledge that there will be no cut in the Health Service and the health and welfare services following devaluation is by making an actual increase in the expenditure on these services?

Mr. Robinson

What my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said was that the hospital building programme would not figure in the cuts in civil expenditure which he announced.