HL Deb 03 March 1981 vol 417 cc1315-6
Lord Segal

My Lords, I beg leave 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, in view of the advisory group's recommendation in paragraph 16 of their report, they will now confirm that there will be no future reduction in the number of London's medical schools.

The Minister of State, Department of Education and Science (Baroness Young)

My Lords, I can give no such confirmation. The organisation of London's medical schools is essentially a matter for the University of London.

Lord Segal

My Lords, while thanking the noble Baroness for that reply, may I ask whether she is aware that the university senate is completely divided about the future of London's medical schools and that members of the senate are angry and frustrated at the long, wasted hours of discussion on these matters? Is it not high time that the noble Baroness's right honourable friend intervened to avoid further discussions and to allow hospital consultants to get on with their proper work of healing the sick and reducing the long waiting lists of the National Health Service?

Baroness Young

My Lords, as I have already indicated, the organisation of the medical schools is essentially a matter for the university, but I understand that a working party under Professor Lequesne has been considering the costs of various options for reorganising the schools and that the senate and court of the university will be considering any recommendations arising from its report at the end of March. It is for the university to reach its own decisions in this matter.

Lord Segal

My Lords, does not the noble Baroness realise that it would be a monstrous act of vandalism on the part of the university to order the closure of any of these London medical schools? Would not the noble Baroness's right honourable friend think it wiser to intervene at this stage and to advise collaboration between the medical schools instead of keeping the constant threat of closure over any single one of them?

Baroness Young

My Lords, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Social Services has no status in this matter. This is a matter for the medical schools and for London University.

Lord Annan

My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that this year the University of London, owing to the Government's policy on overseas students' fees, has had its resource allocation reduced by £6.3 million, of which £3.8 million has fallen on the post-graduate medical schools? Is she further aware that next year, according to the best estimates, these losses will rise to £15 million? And would she not agree that, in these circumstances, it would be most imprudent for me, as Vice-Chancellor, to give any assurances that any school, whether medical or non-medical, is likely to remain on its present site and in its present form? Is the noble Baroness also aware that we in the university are doing our very best to come to a speedy conclusion—which I hope will be arrived at at the end of March—on these highly difficult problems now that we are facing cuts of this magnitude?

Baroness Young

My Lords, I have every confidence that the noble Lord, Lord Annan, and his colleagues will come to the right conclusion on this difficult matter.

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