§ Mr. Lomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will ensure that persons employed in the National Health Service and living in homes provided by the hospital authorities are not evicted when they reach the age of retirement until adequate alternative accommodation has been made available.
§ Sir K. JosephThis is a matter for the relevant hospital authorities. They naturally make every effort to avoid the unpleasant necessity of eviction, with all the distress that this can entail. However, the needs of patients must always be the prime concern, and when staff accommodation is in short supply priority must be given to those who continue to care for them. I understand that cases of eviction are fortunately very rare.