Family Practitioner Committee Finance: Report (Hansard, 21 March 1984)

§ Lord Hunter of Newington
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Lord Glenarthur)
My Lords, we are still studying this report.

§ Lord Hunter of Newington
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that brief reply. Does he realise that those who lead the family doctors at the present time are highly responsible and very much concerned about costs? They believe that the legislation making the family practitioner committees directly responsible to the Secretary of State sets the stage for future relations. Does the Minister realise that the opportunity is slipping away, and with it good will? The pharmacists are also anxiously awaiting the report

Noble Lords
Order, order!

§ Lord Hunter of Newington
My Lords, will the Government reconsider their decision about delaying publication?

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, I am well aware of the responsibility exhibited by doctors and I am also aware of the concern which the noble Lord expresses. I know that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State will note what he says, but the fact is that the report requires further consideration.

§ Lord Wells-Pestell
My Lords, will the noble Lord the Minister be good enough to answer the Question? The Question is: when do the Government expect the report to be published?

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, the report may be published in due course.

§ Lord Ennals
My Lords, will the Minister agree that most Members of this House will not be satisfied with that answer? Will he explain to the House why, when a report is paid for by the taxpayer and is available to the Secretary of State, it should not be available for discussion by the professions, by the patients, and by this House? Why is the report not available for publication now? Why does it have to await the conclusion of the Secretary of State?

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, there is no obligation on the Secretary of State to publish the report anyway, and he is further considering it. That is why it has not been published.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that many professional people are interested in this report? On reflection, will he not agree that he has just lost a good opportunity to have made an interim Statement which would have been acceptable to the profession, instead of treating it in the offhand manner in which he has treated this Question this afternoon?

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, I can assure the noble Lord and the House that there is no question of treating the profession in an offhand way. The fact remains that this report, which has been produced, is being considered by Ministers, and when that consideration has been completed, it may be published.

§ Lord Prys-Davies
My Lords, last December the Government said that they would publish the report "soon", but today the Minister says that "it may be published" in due course. Does that mean that the Government are actively considering not publishing the report?

§ Lord Glenarthur
No, my Lords; it means that the noble Lord and I each put a different interpretation on what "soon" means.

§ Lord Ennals
My Lords, will the Minister explain why it is necessary for the Secretary of State and himself to consider the report before other people, who may also be experts and whose views may be very helpful, should have the opportunity to consider it? Why cannot it be published now?

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, it is because my right honourable friend the Secretary of State commissioned the report and it is up to him to decide when to publish it.

§ Lord Leatherland
My Lords, can the Minister tell us whether this report will suggest any further cuts in the health service?

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, I am not prepared to say anything about what the report contains.

§ Lord Blease
My Lords, is it not a fact that the financial squeeze on hospitals has resulted in an increase of some 10 per cent. in the general practitioners' drug account? Is the Minister aware that National Health Service hospitals now discharge patients with only one or two days' supply of drugs, whereas prior to the financial cuts two or three weeks' supply was the normal practice? Is it not a fact that these financial cuts on the hospitals have considerably added to the workload and the drug costs of medical practitioners? Are these not good reasons why this report should be urgently considered for publication?

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, all that the noble Lord says about drugs is of course important, but it is not directly connected with the Question on the Order Paper.

§ Lord Harmar-Nicholls
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that this Question and Answer are verging on becoming a constitutional matter? Is it not clearly understood that in the case of a report commissioned by a Minister, it shall be left to the Minister to judge whether or not it shall be officially reported to the general public? I have no doubt that the parts of it which noble Lords opposite want to develop will be leaked in time, and they will have every opportunity of emphasising their points.

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, I am very grateful to my noble friend, certainly for the first part of his question.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that his answers, which are normally a model of clarity, on this occasion have added confusion to confusion, and that he leaves the House in a state of some uncertainty? As my noble friend Lord Prys-Davies said, is it not the case that in December there was a commitment "to publish soon"? Those apparently were the words used. Now the noble Lord says that there is no certainty of publication and no idea as to when the Minister may make a Statement. Surely the noble Lord can be a little clearer. It would assist the House and the country generally, especially the medical practitioners, if he could indicate whether or not this report will be published and when the Minister is likely to make a Statement. Will it be within one month or six months? Will the noble Lord consider that very carefully. If he is not briefed to give clear replies today, will he undertake to the House to come here and be clear a little later on?

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, I have given a perfectly clear statement on what is the position. The fact is that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State said on 13th December that we hoped to publish the report shortly. For various reasons it has been decided not yet to publish the report, since it is being further considered; so I have nothing further to add.

§ Lord Wells-Pestell
My Lords, will the noble Lord give the House an undertaking that he will see that his right honourable friend the Minister sees an account of today's proceedings in your Lordships' House?

§ Lord Glenarthur
; My Lords, I am sure that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State will read what has taken place.

§ Lord Prys-Davies
My Lords, whatever may be the recommendations of the Binder Hamlyn report, are the Government still considering ways and means of limiting the family practitioner services?

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, I think that the best thing would be for the noble Lord to wait and see the outcome of the report.