§ 16. Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what meetings he has had with hon. Members on each of the proposals for setting up national health service trusts.
§ Mr. LangThere have been no formal meetings with hon. Members on proposals for setting up national health service trusts.
§ Mr. FoulkesWhy is the Secretary of State afraid to meet Ayrshire Labour MPs? Is it because we will point out that the consultants, general practitioners, radiographers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, the Ayrshire local health council, all four district councils and the four Members of Parliament who bothered to make a submission were against the proposal to opt out—that all those 200 submissions were against it? It is an insult to all the people who made the submissions for the Secretary of State to suggest that all those professionals are accepting misleading statements and that the quality of their submissions is not as good as those of the handful of people in favour. Will the right hon. Gentleman now throw off the veto of his Minister of State and have the courage to meet us to argue and discuss the case?
§ Mr. LangNeither I nor my colleagues are afraid of the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes) or his hon. Friends who represent Ayrshire, however much they may frighten each other. There is a statutory procedure laid down for the consultation process. I am in no doubt about the hon. Gentleman's views as he has tabled parliamentary questions on the matter, he took part in the debate on the regulations on 1 May, he spoke in the Scottish Grand Committee on 9 July and he submitted his views in the consultation process. It would be inequitable to those who take a contrary view to that of the hon. Gentleman if I were to see him exceptionally, in addition to all the other representations that I have received from him, now that the consultation period is over and I am reaching a conclusion on the matter.