§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consider delaying proposed closures of hospitals in order that the hospitals concerned could consider taking advantage of the possibility of the new status proposed in the White Paper, "Working for Patients."
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeNo. The White Paper makes it clear that self-governing status should not be sought simply as an alternative to necessary closure. The Health Service must not retain hospitals which are redundant to its needs. Closures are very often made as a result of the development of better alternative services and so should continue to be made.