HC Deb 11 July 1978 vol 953 cc1237-9
10. Mr. Adley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the overall efficiency of his Department; and what proposals he has for its improvement.

Mr. Orme

Yes, Sir; but we are constantly seeking to improve it and would welcome any constructive suggestions from the hon. Member.

Mr. Adley

I am most grateful for that. Has the Minister listened today to the points made by, for example, his hon. Friend the Member for Ormskirk (Mr. Kilroy-Silk) and my hon. Friend the Member for Wells (Mr. Boscawen) and been alarmed at the evidence of deteriora- tion in the standard of the Health Service? If the Minister wants a suggestion from me, may I put one to him now? Will he take a stand against the militant trade unionism and the activities of COHSE and NUPE, which are simultaneously destroying confidence in the Health Service and reducing standards in it? Perhaps he would like to start by openly condemning the strike at the Charing Cross Hospital, where attempts are being made to deprive patients of food.

Mr. Orme

I was wrong to ask for any helpful suggestions from the hon. Gentleman. In fact, my right hon. Friend has been conducting detailed discussions with both the medical profession and the trade unions to reach an understanding within the Health Service which will be helpful to both patients and themselves. What the hon. Gentleman has said has given no help whatsoever to that.

Mr. Mike Thomas

Does my right hon. Friend believe that it contributes to the work and efficiency of his Department and the Health Service if multinational drug companies are still permitted to run bogus trials of their drugs in order to induce doctors to prescribe them for their patients? Is not this extremely wasteful of resources, and is it not high time that my right hon. Friend stepped in to stop it before British companies are forced to engage in the same practices?

Mr. Orme

I cannot comment on the specific point which my hon. Friend raises, but my right hon. Friend has paid particular attention to the drug industry and to the number of prescriptions issued by the medical profession. I shall certainly draw that matter to his attention.

Mr. Anthony Grant

May I take up the Minister's invitation and make a serious suggestion to him? Will he substantially improve the monitoring by his Department of expenditure by area health authorities, which is quite inadequate at present, and will he encourage greater use of private contractors for cleaning and ancillary services, thereby releasing a great deal of public money for such things as kidney machines and so forth?

Mr. Orme

On the latter point there is a Question later on the Order Paper, and I shall not be drawn now, though I appreciate what the hon. Gentleman was attempting to do. As for the first point, there is close monitoring of public expenditure through the area health authorities. There is great difficulty in this field, and a lot of the problems lie at the door of the previous Conservative Government who implemented the reforms.

Mr. Moonman

Would it not make good management sense and also lead to good mental health care if the medium secure unit in the north-west, an area with which my right hon. Friend is associated, was opened? May we, therefore, have an assurance that either the Secretary of State or one of his ministerial colleagues will give consideration to the possibility of conciliation in this matter, which certainly should not conflict with NUPE?

Mr. Orme

I take that point. I have visited the unit to which my hon. Friend refers. We should certainly like to see that unit operating, and we are looking at means to try to achieve that end.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin

May I also make a constructive suggestion, turning the Minister's attention to the press department of the DHSS? Is he aware that the Department has in the past few days put out two releases of speeches by the Minister with responsibility for the disabled, of whom we are very fond, in which he has appeared to claim the credit for the introduction of the behind-the-ear hearing aid, which was introduced by the last Conservative Government, and has claimed the credit for the exemption from vehicle excise duty, which was forced on him by the Opposition?

Mr. Orme

The last matter was not forced on my hon. Friend by the Opposition. It is this Government who will implement the vehicle excise duty exemption. The right hon. Gentleman knows that. On the first point, my hon. Friend the Minister was drawing attention to the fact that we passed the half-million mark in hearing aids, which I regard as very creditable.