§ 8. Mr. Win Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Wales when next he intends to visit the Bridgend constituency.
§ The Secretary of State for Wales (Mr. Peter Walker)I have no immediate plans to visit the Bridgend constituency, but I hope to find a suitable opportunity to visit Bridgend before very long.
§ Mr. GriffithsDoes the right hon. Gentleman realise that there are many good reasons to visit Bridgend? May I ask him about only one of our pressing problems? Is he aware that in January this year the Welsh Office reduced the capital allocation of the Mid Glamorgan health authority by over £9 million, as a result of which the authority will have to put back by about a decade the start of phase II of the Princess Diana hospital in Bridgend? Will the right hon. Gentleman make an urgent visit to Bridgend to meet senior hospital staff, Mid Glamorgan health authority administrators and the community health council, with a view of putting that money back into the budget?
§ Mr. WalkerI am examining the distribution of expenditure on health services throughout Wales. I note what the hon. Gentleman has said and I shall contact him about it.
§ Mr. ButlerWhen my right hon. Friend travels along the M4 towards Bridgend will he note the expansion of high technology industry along that corridor, particularly in the Bridgend constituency—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I think that it would be appropriate if I drew to the attention of the House the fact 12 that questions 8, 9 and 14 are basically open questions. The Chair usually declines to call supplementary questions to an open question. I shall not follow that practice today, but I give notice that I shall have to do so in future. That supplementary question was not really appropriate.