§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, when replying to parliamentary questions about the National Health Service by suggesting that right hon. and hon. Members contact a health authority directly, he will make it his practice at the same time to ask the chairman of the health authority concerned to reply to such inquiries within a maximum of one week.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe take every opportunity to impress on health authority chairmen the need to deal speedily and thoroughly with all inquiries from right hon. and hon. Members. We know that they take this duty very seriously. Since there is reason to believe that some hon. Members decide not to make the contacts we suggest, it would not make sense to impose a uniform process and timetable on all chairmen in relation to all replies suggesting direct contact.