§ 8. Sir E. Erringtonasked the Minister of Health why, after having granted an interview to the hon. Member for Alder-shot and three other hon. Members of Parliament in regard to the possible construction of a new general district hospital at Frimley, he did not communicate with those Members who were interviewed by him of his decision to develop; and to what extent it is the practice of his Department for notification to be given to interested Members of Parliament and local authorities when further decisions are taken in regard to such hospitals.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonAs I explained in my reply to the hon. Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) on 13th February, my proposal for the Frimley hospital was part 1021 of a wider national experiment in economical hospital design and was therefore announced centrally. Local hospital developments are normally settled by the regional hospital boards, and I could not undertake as a general rule to keep hon. Members or local authorities informed of all their decisions.—[Vol. 741, c. 72–3.]
§ Sir E. ErringtonI wonder whether the Minister realises that the local Press knew nothing about this matter, and that the owners of the land on which the hospital is to be built knew nothing of it? Is there not some way in which people interested can be informed officially, and not hear through back-door channels?
§ Mr. RobinsonAs I explained in my original Answer, this is the responsibility of the regional hospital board. In this instance, I certainly intended that the local Press should receive copies of the statement issued by my Department through the agency of the Press Association. This seems not to have happened, but I understand that representatives of the local Press were enabled by the regional board to cover the story very fully by 27th January, which was about as early as they could have done in any case.