§ 2. Sir A. Meyerasked the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from Flintshire County Council about the reorganisation of the National Health Service in Wales; and what replies he has sent.
§ The Minister of State, Welsh Office (Mr. David Gibson-Watt)Flintshire County Council submitted its observa- 920 tions on the previous administration's Green Paper on the Reorganisation of the National Health Service in July. The county council endorsed the views of the County Councils' Association, which considered that the administration of the health service should be the responsibility of local authorities. The county council's observations were acknowledged in the usual way.
§ Sir A. MeyerWhile thanking my hon. Friend for that answer, may I ask him whether he is aware of the very great disadvantages which could flow from divorcing the administration of the National Health Service from existing arrangements? Is he aware of the advantages to be derived from tying all of this up with the recommendation of the Seebohm Committee? Does he realise that if the ambulance service is taken away from the county council it is liable to cause much more inconvenience than advantage?
§ Mr. Gibson-WattMy hon. Friend will realise that this question has been studied very carefully. The Government decided that the National Health Service should be administered by health authorities outside local government, primarily because of the difficulties of financing the service by the local authorities and because of the opposition of the medical profession to local authority control. I do not think that I can add anything to my original answer.