§ 10. Mr. Kinnockasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with current provision for orthopaedic, ear nose and throat and general surgical treatment in the hospitals serving Gwent and Mid-Glamorgan.
§ Mr. Barry JonesNo, Sir. But I expect the new hospital facilities that have been, and are being, provided in Gwent and Mid-Glamorgan and the continuing recruitment of skilled staff to produce improvements.
§ Mr. KinnockI am grateful to my hon. Friend for that reply. However, even taking that into account, does he recognise that South Gwent, especially, has a strong need for additional hospital facilities? Welcome though the new phase at the Royal Gwent hospital, Newport, will be, that still means that there will be further development on an already cramped site. Will my hon. Friend undertake consultation with surgical and medical staff opinion throughout this area in order to understand their increasingly strong belief in the need for a brand new hospital on a fresh site to serve the mid-valley area?
§ Mr. Barry JonesI shall consider that, but my hon. Friend gave me a full exposition of his views when he, my hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Evans) and others met me on 26 February. I am still considering the very effective case that they made at that meeting.
§ Mr. Gwynfor EvansCan the Minister say whether what the hon. Member for Bedwellty (Mr. Kinnock) described as the "vast sum of money" to be spent on the Welsh Assembly will now be transferred to the cost of maintaining the hospitals? In any case, will be bear in mind that in the West Wales hospital, one of the biggest that we have in the South—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I am sorry to interrupt the hon. Gentleman, but on this question he must confine himself to Gwent and Mid-Glamorgan.
§ Mr. Barry JonesI am glad that the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Evans) raised that matter. It is not generally understood in Wales that only last year the Welsh Office gave the go-ahead to five district general hospital schemes costing in excess of £40 million. The Department is proud of that.
§ Mr. Ioan EvansWill my hon. Friend recognise that, while the Government have done well in providing hospitals, there are still long hospital waiting lists in many of the valleys in South Wales? Grave distress is being caused to parents whose children are in urgent need of medical assistance. They are told that if they pay they can get prompt treatment, but if they have to go on the National Health Service list they have to wait a long time.
§ Mr. Barry JonesI understand the concern about that. In time the new hospital at Merthyr will make significant inroads into the waiting lists in the valley area of that part of South-East Wales. The work-to-rule by doctors three years ago lengthened the waiting lists, and the latest industrial action will also have serious consequences.