National Health Service (Parliamentary Commissioner) (Hansard, 8 June 1972)

§ 3. Dr. Miller
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are his plans for the appointing of a Parliamentary Commissioner for the National Health Service in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

§ The Minister of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Paul Channon)
None, Sir. The Northern Ireland Commissioner for Complaints exercises, in relation to health service bodies, functions similar to those now proposed for a Health Service Commissioner in Great Britain.

§ Dr. Miller
This is rather a grave disappointment. Is the hon. Gentleman aware that what could be provided here would be a method of ascertaining the truth of many disturbing accusations that members of the medical profession are engaged in uncivilised methods of obtaining information from people who have not yet stood trial and who are not accused of any crime?

§ Mr. Channon
I think the hon. Gentleman may have misunderstood my reply. The Commissioner for Complaints already exercises the functions in Northern Ireland that are now proposed for Great Britain.

§ Mr. Molyneaux
Has my hon. Friend read the article in Public Administration indicating that Northern Ireland is very far ahead of Great Britain in this matter of investigating complaints, particularly in the National Health Service—one example is the Northern Ireland Mental Health Tribunal set up in 1948—and suggesting that Great Britain should catch up?

§ Mr. Channon
I have not read the article but I am glad to confirm what my hon. Friend has said.

§ Dr. Miller
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I must apologise but there was a lot of noise going on at the time and I took from what the Minister of State said that there would not be in Northern Ireland the same kind of provisions that we are to apply in Great Britain. Is imply could not hear. I thought that was what he said. May I say in that case—[Interruption.] There was a lot of noise and I must press the point. I just could not hear. [Interruption.] There was a lot of noise—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. Sometimes I wish that I could not hear. But if the hon. Gentleman has a substantive point of order, I would rather he raised it at the end of Questions so that we can get on now.