§ Mr. Meadowcroftasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to establish a complaints procedure for hospitals directly managed by his Department.
§ Mr. John Patten[pursuant to his reply, 11 June 1985, c. 441]: Each of the four special hospitals for which we have direct responsibility—Broadmoor, Moss Side, Park Lane and Rampton hospitals — has established procedures for dealing with complaints. A proportion of complaints relating to these hospitals come direct to Ministers or officials in the Department, where procedures for dealing with them are also well established. In reporting in October 1984 on matters which he had been asked to investigate, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration expressed his satisfaction with the way complaints made by a patient in Broadmoor hospital had been dealt with, both at the hospital and in the Department.
§ Mr. Meadowcroftasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to prevent National Health Service doctors entering into contracts which would impede investigations pursuant to the Hospital Complaints Procedure Bill.
§ Mr. John Patten[pursuant to his reply, 11 June 1985, c. 441]: We see no need to introduce such legislation.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services which of the new benefits mentioned in his Green paper on the welfare state will rise in line with inflation.
§ Mr. Newton.[pursuant to his reply, 7 June 1985, c. 290–91]: The Government stand by their pledge to uprate retirement pensions and linked long-term benefits in line with rising prices. Future upratings of other benefits will be determined as they are now in the light of circumstances at the time.