Dr Edith Summerskill: I am told by the Minister that it is Subhead F, but it is not very clear.
Dr Edith Summerskill: I know these things only because I do my homework very carefully and read the British Medical Journal every week. It was reported in full in the medical journals. If I was not a member of the medical profession I should not have known.
Dr Edith Summerskill: The Minister will not be able to give details when he winds up, but he obviously has something in mind. I have taken the opportunity to plant a few seeds which I hope will germinate and finally bear fruit next year when the appropriate Committee reports. The fact is that £1 million has been taken for the purpose of improving general practice and that comes out of the general medical...
Dr Edith Summerskill: Would not this £500,000 be in the general medical services? After all, it is earmarked for the general medical services as merit awards to general practitioners.
Dr Edith Summerskill: The Minister does not seem to be certain. I am only emphasising the word "revert". A thing cannot revert to the Treasury from the Minister unless the Minister already has it. Therefore I base my case on the wording which says that until the scheme is agreed the money should revert. I am not sure that the Minister is right, unless it has been confirmed—has it been confirmed? I see that a...
Dr Edith Summerskill: I suspect then that I was right. If this £500,000 for merit awards is included, may I for a moment present an hypothetical case? May we ask whether a scheme has been agreed and what qualifications or qualities a general practitioner should possess to entitle him to a share in this £500,000? The Minister will agree, if he has read the various debates in the medical journals, that medical...
Dr Edith Summerskill: rose—
Dr Edith Summerskill: I cannot understand this. The right hon. Gentleman says that it is due. The Pilkington Committee recommended it, but the right hon. Gentleman says now it is not included in this financial year. Therefore, it means that the general practitioners must lose £1½ million.
Dr Edith Summerskill: Will the right hon. Gentleman break the sum down? I have never known a Minister to behave as the right hon. Gentleman has behaved tonight. When he discovered that he had misinformed me, he said to the Committee that he thought he had better come clean. I have never heard such an extraordinary statement. Having told me one thing, the right hon. Gentleman just sat there and allowed me to...
Dr Edith Summerskill: When the right hon. Gentleman reads the OFFICIAL REPORT tomorrow he will see that I made all this quite separate. I cannot quite understand how he has become confused between the merit awards and the £1 million, an entirely different matter.
Dr Edith Summerskill: asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many women students have applied for admission to the London Medical Schools during the last two years; what is the percentage of acceptances; and what are the corresponding figures for male applicants.
Dr Edith Summerskill: In the event of his discovering that women students are being treated inequitably, will the Chancellor ask the University Grants Committee to withhold grants from those medical schools whose practice is not in line with current educational thought?
Dr Edith Summerskill: In view of the fact that successful voluntary effort depends on local circumstances, does not the right hon. Gentleman think that there should be some central supervision in order that all hospitals may be treated equitably?
Dr Edith Summerskill: Has the Minister ascertained that these conditions do not obtain in any other hospital? This may be an exceptional case but, if these nineteenth century conditions are accepted in this way by the committee, other children may be put with men in these conditions. Can the right hon. Gentleman tell the House the position in the country?
Dr Edith Summerskill: Will not the Minister ensure that the 700 children he mentioned as occupying mental wards are now removed?
Dr Edith Summerskill: Is there no evidence of an increasing incidence of disease with an emotional ætiology? Does this not include asthma? Would it not be better to have an inquiry?
Dr Edith Summerskill: In view of the serious nature of the Minister's Answer, could he tell the House now or at some later date what liaison he has with his right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government with regard to air pollution, and inform us of the extent of the steps which he is taking to reduce the incidence of chest diseases?
Dr Edith Summerskill: Could not the Minister be a little more forthcoming, in view of the disastrous effect upon personality of this operation? We have waited for many years for the result. In those circumstances, could not he make a statement, which might be reported in the medical press, as to whether this operation is regarded favourably or not?
Dr Edith Summerskill: Is the Minister aware that his Ministry is anxious to encourage group practices? I cannot agree that responsible men take four and a half months to decide upon certain proposals made by his Ministry, and if he allows them to wait for four and a half months it discourages rather than encourages group practices. Will he reconsider this period?
Dr Edith Summerskill: In view of the high incidence of chest complaints in the country, can the hon. Lady say how strong is the liaison between her Department and the Alkali Inspectorate of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government?
