§ 14. Mr. George Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales why he has delegated responsibility for the administration of the health service in Wales to the Minister of State; and whether he will make a statement on this matter.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasIt is common practice for the day-to-day work of a Department to be divided between Ministers, and under my overall responsibility my hon. Friend the Minister of State deals with health service matters in Wales.
§ Mr. George ThomasIs not the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that earlier he tried to shuffle off on to the Welsh Hospital Board responsibility for the staffing of hospitals in Wales, when it is, in fact, his own responsibility? Is he further aware that he answered me at the last Welsh Question Time by saying that he had delegated responsibility for the National Health Service to the Minister of State, whose job it is to assist him? Is he further aware that it is a public disgrace that he has not yet visited a hospital in Wales to show his own personal involvement in the National Health Service?
§ Mr. Peter ThomasI shall be visiting hospitals in Wales. I said that the duties of my hon. Friend the Minister of State are to assist me in all matters which are the concern of my Department. I said that, subject to that, he had special responsibility, inter alia, for the National Health Service. I am continuing a process which was followed by all my pre decessors. There is nothing in the arrangement which derogates from my prime responsibility for all the functions exercised by the Welsh Office.
§ Mr. GowerWhile it is valuable for my right hon. and learned Friend to visit hospitals, schools, ports and other places, is it not much more important that he should first of all improve the administration of his Department?
§ Mr. Peter ThomasI should obviously like to visit many parts of Wales and many institutions in Wales but, as the right hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. George Thomas) knows only too well, the functions of the Secretary of State for Wales are in great part to be exercised in London.
§ Mr. George ThomasIs the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that he definitely said that he had delegated responsibility for the National Health Service to the Minister of State—it is in HANSARD—but that we look at him to shoulder the responsibilities that he bears as Secretary of State and not to run away from them as he has done during Question Time?
§ Mr. Peter ThomasI think the right hon. Gentleman knows perfectly well that when I wrote to him on 4th November I said that I had delegated initial responsibility.
§ Mr. George ThomasOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment, when, unfortunately, you will not be here.