HC Deb 16 July 1968 vol 768 cc1223-4
1. Mr. Maddan

asked the Minister of Health whether the statement made by an official of his Department to the Brighton Evening Argus and published on 4th April, 1968, that the Stanmer Park hospital scheme put forward by the Brighton consultants two years ago was very similar in concept to the hospitals now to be built at Bury St. Edmunds and Frimley, was made with his authority; and whether he will make a statement.

The Minister of Health (Mr. Kenneth Robinson)

I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT the full text of the statement made on my behalf to the newspaper in question. It does not bear the interpretation placed upon it by the hon. Member.

Mr. Maddan

I shall read that with a great deal of interest, but, from the text which I have read, I should like to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether, by circulating it in the OFFICIAL REPORT, he is merely creating a smokescreen behind which to hide. Is this just one more example of Socialist Ministers refusing to admit their errors?

Mr. Robinson

The only reason for circulating it in the OFFICIAL REPORT is to save the time of the House. The similarity referred to was an architectural similarity, which is very different from a similarity of concept.

The text is as follows: There are architectural similarities between the Brighton doctors' concept and the Frimley and Bury St. Edmunds projects. It is not claimed that the design is unique. It is largely a logical development from earlier Ministry-sponsored projects at Kingston, Walton, South Cheshire, Eastburn and Greenwich. They are hospitals where space is intensively used. But the concept differs from the Brighton concept in that it aims at extensively integrating the work of the hospital with that of local authorities and general practitioners.