HC Deb 11 November 1980 vol 992 cc167-8
1. Mr. Dormand

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will place in the Library a copy of the report "Inequalities in Health".

The Secretary of State for Social Services (Mr. Patrick Jenkin)

I did so when the report was published.

Mr. Dormand

Is not it disgraceful that it took the pressure of the Opposition to have this important report issued? Does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that, if improvements in the NHS are to be made, it is essential that they be made quickly in relation to some of the report's recommendations? Can he say whether he intends to implement those recommendations relating to the four areas in the Northern region which call for a special health and social development programme, or is this another case where the Government will ignore the needs of the Northern region?

Mr. Jenkin

It is an absolute travesty to say that this report saw the light of day only as a result of Opposition pressure. I gave a clear undertaking to my predecessor that as soon as it was available and could be printed it would be published. It was printed and published. More than 100 copies were sent to the press and broadcasting authorities, and copies have been made available to hon. Members. It is absolute nonsense for the hon. Gentleman to make that accusation.

As to the merits of the report, the hon. Gentleman must recognise that it contains proposals for a wholy unrealistic increase in public expenditure—more than £2,000 million a year. In present circumstances, extra spending on that scale is right out of the question.

Dr. Glyn

Does my right hon. Friend agree that, whatever the report says, it is now essential, in view of the high cost of health care, to have a true partnership between the private and public sectors rather than a rivalry between the two?

Mr. Jenkin

I entirely accept what my hon. Friend says. However, hardly surprisingly, that was not what this report was about. As to the health of the country, the report has some valuable things to say about prevention. These are matters which the Government fully take on board, as they are entirely in accordance with our policy.

Mr. Moyle

How can the right hon. Gentleman introduce a blanket rejection of the Black report when his answers to me yesterday indicate that he has no idea of the cost of about half the recommendations? Is not his real reason for rejection of many of the proposals the fact that he just does not believe in equal access to the Health Service?

Mr. Jenkin

The questions which the right hon. Gentleman asked yesterday—and I have no doubt that it was quite intentional—related to a number of recommendations which it is obviously difficult to cost in advance of detailed plans for implementation, or where the cost would not be a major factor, for instance, in setting up a further working group. But as the right hon. Gentleman well recognises, I said in my foreword to the report that the report is available for discussion, and we can all form judgments as to the effectiveness of the recommendations and whether they are costly. Some are certainly worthy of more consideration than others, but if the right hon. Gentleman wants to find out more about my views on the report, perhaps he will try to ask different sorts of questions.