§ Mr. Randallasked the Minister of Health if he will make a statement on the policy for hospital building and maintenance in development areas.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonMy general policy is to achieve a common satisfactory standard of service in all parts of the country, but in distributing resources for capital development among hospital regions I take into account the provision of services in development areas, in so far as this is possible without detriment to hospital services in other parts of the country. In particular, when special additional funds have been made available to stimulate employment in the development areas the hospital service has played its part by mounting additional minor building and maintenance works. Additional work valued at £2–5 million was undertaken for this purpose in the development areas last whiter. Furthermore, in the placing of contracts for capital works and the supply of equipment, hospital authorities are asked to give preference, other things 49W being equal, to contractors in the development areas.
§ Mr. Randallasked the Minister of Health what were the amounts of grant to the Newcastle Regional Hospital Board in respect of building and maintenance for hospitals in the area covered by the Board for the year 1968–69, and for the four previous years.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonTotal expenditure from Ministry of Health funds by Newcastle Regional Hospital Board in each of the years 1964–65 to 1968–69 is shown below.
Year Capital Development Maintenance of Hospital Service £ £ 1964–65 3,023,000 30,094,000 1965–66 2,717,000 33,137,000 1966–67 3,850,000 36,034,000 1967–68 (estimated) 4,645,000 38,800,000 1968–69 (estimated) 4,021,000 39,661,000