§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the great deficiency in the number of beds in the voluntary hospitals of Great Britain; that this deficiency is largely due to lack of funds; and will he consider the advisability of making grants towards capital expenditure in approved cases on the lines indicated in the Onslow Report?
§ Sir K. WOODMy right hon. Friend is glad to say that the deficiency in beds reported by the Voluntary Hospitals Commission has been materially reduced since their survey in 1924. In view of the financial position of the country, my right hon. Friend did not at that time feel justified in recommending a grant from public funds in aid of capital expenditure, and the progress made from purely voluntary sources since that date has been so encouraging that he sees no ground for considering the question again.