§ 3.16 p.m.
Baroness WARD of NORTH TYNESIDEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any representations have been received from the Northern Area Health Authority on the inability of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Security to find sufficient money adequately to finish the new Freeman Hospital at Newcastle on Tyne.
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, no representations have been received from the Northern Regional Health Authority for extra funds to finish the new Freeman Hospital in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Sufficient funds have been made available to complete the current building scheme at this hospital. There are no firm proposals for any further major hospital building development on the site.
Baroness WARD of NORTH TYNESIDEMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that Answer, may I ask whether he is aware that in the North quite a number of people have made representations, at any rate through me, for some extra money to make the hospital absolutely perfect? Is the noble Lord aware that we have already spent millions of pounds on a hospital which has been long awaited and that there are just a few details outstanding, involving very little money? Would the noble Lord be kind enough to make some inquiries about this? May I also ask him to bear in mind that very recently it has been stated that people in the North are not quite as healthy as people in the South and that it would be a great idea to give us a little more money to finish this really first-class hospital?
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, in the first place the noble Baroness will 457 know that this is a matter for the Regional Health Authority: they have an allocation. Quite recently, under the resources reallocation decisions, more money was made available to those regions which my right honourable friend the Secretary of State thought were in need. The region to which the noble Baroness has referred received a substantial amount of money to meet certain eventualities. This is really a matter for the Northern Regional Hospital Authority, and I can only refer the noble Baroness to that Authority.
§ Lord WYNNE-JONESMy Lords, would my noble friend confirm that the hospital to which reference is being made is the Freeman Road Hospital?
Baroness WARD of NORTH TYNESIDEMy Lords, may I first ask the noble Lord whether he knows how very nice and competent our area chairman is? Is the noble Lord aware that sometimes people do not make as much bother as I do?
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, I would be the last person to suggest that the Regional Health Authority in which the noble Baroness is interested is not a very nice body. In reply to my noble friend, if I said "Freeman Hospital", I should have said "Freeman Road Hospital".