Mr. Tom Ellisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will meet 248W the chairman of the council for postgraduate medical education to discuss means of meeting the public demand for homoeopathic medical treatment and the provision of postgraduate courses in homoeopathy for those general medical practitioners who are anxious to attend such courses.
§ Dr. VaughanI hope to meet the chairman of the council for postgraduate medical education before long to discuss the work of the council generally. I shall take the opportunity to raise with him the question of training in homoeopathy.
Mr. Tom Ellisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about the long-term future of the Royal London Homoeopathic hospital in relation to its role as a national teaching hospital in homoeopathic medicine.
§ Dr. VaughanThe Government stand by the pledges given by previous Administrations that, while there are patients wishing to receive homoeopathic treatment and doctors willing to provide it, my right hon. Friend will continue to ensure that facilities are made available. I am aware that the previous Government also gave undertakings specifically about the future of the Royal London Homoeopathic hospital. I have no intention of withdrawing those undertakings. They 249W were that there was no question of the hospital being required to leave its present site against the wishes of the staff and others closely interested in its future; and that, while retention of the present number of beds used for non-homoeopathic treatments could not be guaranteed, there must be sufficient safeguards in any proposals for change to ensure that the homoeopathic element remains viable.
The hospital's role in homoeopathic training is a matter for the University of London and the council for postgraduate medical education in the first instance.