§ LORD CLITHEROEMy 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 whether it is now possible to give a dale when the necessary capital money will be available to complete the Westminster Hospital's premises, thus making use of the valuable adjoining site in Page Street and enabling the hospital properly to fulfil its function as a modern teaching hospital.]
THE EARL OF ONSLOWMy Lords, my right honourable and learned friend 1006 the Minister of Health fully recognises the desirability of the proposed development at the Page Street site, to provide a proper balance for the services of Westminster Hospital. But, as he has already explained to the Chairman of the Board of Governors, the noble Lord, Lord Nathan, he has not so far felt able to give this project sufficiently high priority to justify including it in his building programme in preference to other urgent and essential schemes. The noble Lord will appreciate that many other hospitals are in even greater need than Westminster Hospital, and my right honourable and learned friend's problem is one of relative priorities within the available financial resources.
§ LORD CLITHEROEMy Lords, while thanking the noble Earl very much for his reply and for what he has said, may I ask him whether he is aware that this hospital was only two-thirds built when the war broke out, that it is impossible for a teaching hospital to do its work effectively unless it is a complete whole, and that in that respect the needs of this hospital, for which all of us in this House have a particular regard, have a claim above a great many others? Will the noble Earl represent to the Minister that it is almost impossible for Westminster Hospital to plan its work and its future unless it is given some indication of when this problem will be resolved? If only some indication can be given, then a great deal of confusion will be resolved.
THE EARL OF ONSLOWYes, my Lords, I am aware of the building situation, about which the noble Lord has asked me. I can assure him that the Minister is taking a very lively interest in this matter. In fact, I understand that, at the request of the noble Lord, Lord Nathan, one of his medical advisers is at the hospital at this very moment.
§ LORD CLITHEROEMy Lords, I am greatly obliged to the noble Earl.