§ 8. Mr. SpellerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has yet received any proposals from the South West regional health authority for amalgamation of any district health authorities.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyNo, Sir. We do not expect regional health authorities to submit formal proposals—[Interruption.]—for amalgamation of health authorities unless extensive local consultations—[Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Let us have a stop to this pointing across the Chamber.
§ Mrs. BottomleyNo, Sir. We do not expect regional health authorities to submit formal proposals for amalgamation of health authorities unless extensive local consultations have shown that the proposals command broad local support.
§ Mr. SpellerWhen my hon. Friend considers the needs of the south-west, particularly those in the county of Devon, will she bear in mind the fact that it has four area health authorities, that by and large people in the county of Devon think of themselves as Devonians and that it may be logical to consider replacing the four authorities with one?
§ Mrs. BottomleyI am grateful to my hon. Friend for that suggestion. Another advantage would be to have coterminosity with social services departments. That, with the implementation of community care, might make a great deal of sense. Ministers, however, will be influenced by the extent to which such proposals command local support and by the extent to which they are seen as improving health care and services to local residents.