§ 63 and 64. Mr. W. T. Williamsasked the Minister of Health (1) whether he will inquire into the decision of the South-West Metropolitan Regional Board to prevent the acceptance of a tender for work to be done at the Fulham Hospital solely on the ground that the tender is made by a company which is not a member of the Association of Boiler Setters and Constructors;
(2) if he will instruct regional hospital boards that in seeking tenders for work to be done on hospitals within their respective regions, no firm is to be excluded from having their tenders accepted solely by reason of the fact that they are not members of a particular trade association.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodI understand that the Regional Hospital Board specified membership of this Association on technical advice that it might help in obtaining a satisfactory standard of work, but that it has now decided against including such a clause in future contracts. I agree with this decision and I will see that my views are made known to hospital boards.