§ 2.35 p.m.
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government the total capital cost of acquisition, rebuilding and equipment of the former Hertford Hospital in Paris, the present total number of medical and nursing officers and the average number of patients (excluding out-patients).]
§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE)My Lords, the total capital cost of rebuilding and equipping the Hertford Hospital in Paris is estimated to be £261,000. There are five R.A.M.C. officers on the staff of the hospital and seven nursing officers of the Q.A.R.A.N.C. The average number of in-patients is twenty-nine.
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, while commending the Government for providing these excellent hospital facilities for British personnel and their families in Paris, may I ask the noble Marquess whether he is satisfied that this fully-staffed hospital, with more than half its beds unoccupied, is justified? Would it not be just as effective if we could arrange for the French or the United States hospitals to supply these services on an agency basis? Alternatively, could he arrange for this hospital to be fully used by making it available to British Commonwealth citizens who are in Paris?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEMy Lords, in reply to the first part of the noble Lord's suggestion, I think I should say at once that the whole future of this hospital is under active consideration at the present time, so it would be better for me not to anticipate any decisions that may come out of those 242 deliberations. As regards the second suggestion, I am informed that out of the sixty beds that are available in the hospital, thirty-five are for military personnel and their dependants, and twenty-five are for civilian patients; so up to a point I think the suggestion of the noble Lord is already met—it does apply to civilian people in Paris and not only to military personnel.
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, with regard to the consideration mentioned by the noble Marquess, I should like him to know that I should have no criticism whatsoever if I could feel that this hospital was going to be fully used in one of the two ways which he mentioned—for service and civilian personnel.
§ LORD AMULREEMy Lords, might I just ask the noble Marquess whether the hospital is available for British civilians, not merely from Paris but from the rest of France; and whether these are people who work in France or are people visiting France for their holidays—such as myself or the noble Marquess?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEMy Lords, I must confess that I do not carry the answer to that question in my head. I will make it my business to find out but I am under the impression that the answer is, Yes, it is for Britishers in France and is not limited to Britishers in Paris only. I appreciate the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Stonham, and I am grateful to him for putting forward his view.