asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement on the arrangements which have been made for the transport of patients, visitors and staff to and from district general hospitals following the closure of smaller local hospitals.

Boards have been asked to give particular attention to any expected transport difficulties and to enlist the help of transport undertakings to overcome them.

I thank the Minister for that helpful reply, but will he undertake that his Department will do everything possible to encourage hospital authorities to answer the problems which arise because of the anxiety and inconvenience which people may suffer in this respect?

Hospital boards are alert to this need, but I note the hon. Gentleman's request.

If my hon. Friend aware that it takes seven hours for constituents from certain parts of my constituency to travel by public transport, for example, from Headley parish to Basingstoke, to the new general hospital, and does he consider this reasonable?

The problem is not a new one, but accessibility is now a prime factor in the location of new hospitals.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a variation in the scale rates of supplementary benefits to enable a reduction to be made in the cost of television licences for certain retirement pensioners.

No, Sir. The cost of television licences is included in the index of retail prices which is taken into account in determining the scale rates for supplementary benefit; and the rates themselves allow a margin for amenities which people can choose to spend on things like television licences. The rates were increased on 2nd November.

That is the whole point. Would it not be better to turn it the other way round, adjust the cash benefits to exclude the element of the television licence, and then reduce the television licence fee for old-age pensioners who are living alone, which is what they want?

I appreciate the point which my hon. Friend makes, but we think it better to provide the cash so that people may spend it as they choose.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now increase the pensions for retirement pensioners to enable them to meet the increased fuel bills before the onset of the colder winter months.

No, Sir. The increase in supplementary benefits which came into effect last week will help over two million of the poorest retirement pensioners this winter.

While appreciating the difficulties facing the Government in the present economic situation, may I urge the Secretary of State to bear in mind the dire and distressing difficulties which old-age pensioners are facing, with rising costs and so on? Will he give a firm forecast of when something tangible can be done to relieve the difficulties of this age group, particularly those over 70 and, indeed, over 80?

We are pledged to review pensions every two years. It is the elderly who suffer most from inflation.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that just before the General Election the Conservative Party spokesmen denounced the supplementary benefit increases as totally inadequate because of the rate of inflation? Will he deny that the rate of inflation has accelerated? Will he tell the old people what he will do for them this winter?

The fires of inflation which were lit by the previous Government are flaming, as we warned they would, and it is the elderly who are suffering.

But the right hon. Gentleman must be aware that his own colleague, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and President of the Board of Trade, has made it clear that the Government are not prepared to intervene on higher fuel prices. I must press him to see whether he cannot do what he himself urged the Labour Government to do—that is, to make a fuel supplement available this winter.

That is a different question. The supplementary benefit went up last week, and in real terms the pension is still better than the pension it replaced from 1968.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that there is very real despair amongst the pensioners? Much as we welcome the increase in supplementary benefits, will my right hon. Friend make a statement soon about the position of pensioners, particularly as a single pensioner is 5s. 6d. a week worse off than in November, 1969, and a married pensioner is 8s. 10d. a week worse off?

I cannot accept my hon. Friend's figures, though I accept entirely his sincerity. I can give the House no hope of any acceleration of the pledge to review pensions every two years.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what study he has made of the effects of inflation on the standards of living of retirement pensioners.

Movements of prices are closely watched and, as my hon. Friend knows, we are pledged to review pensions every two years to ensure that they at least keep pace with the cost of living.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that some trade union leaders have recently stated that they propose a campaign for the raising of the standards of living of retirement pensioners? Would not the best way for them to do this be to moderate the excessive wage claims which have accounted so much for rising prices?

It certainly would.

Will the Secretary of State meet the representatives of the National Federation of Old Age Pensioners who are lobbying the House this afternoon and explain the mean, niggardly attitude of his Government towards an increase of pensions?

I hesitate only because I have met one representative body of pensioners and I am due to meet another. I am not sure whether the body to which the hon. Gentleman refers is the one I have met or the one I am about to meet.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now announce an increase in retirement pensions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the basic retirement pension, in view of the cost of living.

We are pledged to review pension rates every two years.

Would the right hon. Gentleman not agree that whoever is responsible for inflation and whatever its causes, many old people will be suffering grievous hardship this winter? Could he tell us what is sacred about a two-yearly review?

The hon. Gentleman would agree that a rise in pensions is necessarily accompanied by a rise either in contributions or taxation and that that is a factor to be considered. The supplementary benefit scales for the poorest and the elderly were increased last week.

The right hon. Gentleman has made several references to a two-yearly review. Is he prepared to put this into statutory form rather than leaving it as a manifesto pledge?

The hon. Gentleman must wait to see our proposals on National Insurance.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce a scheme to make it possible for retirement pensioners to have their pensions paid monthly or quarterly, on request, direct into a bank account.

Arrangements already exist under which, on request, retirement pensions can be paid quarterly in arrear by crossed payable orders negotiable through banks. We hope to be able to offer the alternative of payment at four-weekly intervals by this method in the course of the next year or so.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of his recent studies of the problems of the disabled, he will now make a further statement on three-and four-wheeled vehicles for the disabled.

I have nothing to add at present of the replies I gave to the hon. Members for Rutherglen (Mr. Gregor Mackenzie) and for Birmingham, Lady-wood (Mrs. Fisher) on 2nd and 9th November.—[Vol. 805, c. 272; Vol. 806, c. 39.]

My hon. Friend will realise that I find that a disappointing answer. Will he assure the House, nevertheless, that he still has under examination the whole question of giving better transportation to disabled drivers and, in particular, making the new three-wheeler a two-seater?

My right hon. Friend is pushing ahead with the review of the invalid vehicle service—not without reference to the impetus imparted by my hon. Friend—and an announcement will be made as soon as possible.

Does the hon. Gentleman realise that it is the view not only of hon. Members on both sides of the House but of motor manufacturers that one could have a four-wheeler at the same cost as a three-wheeler? Is he aware that the present three-wheeler very much disrupts the family life of disabled people, and will he institute an urgent inquiry into this matter and publish his findings?

These factors are being taken into consideration. The hon. Gentleman will note that unit costs, although they may be comparable, are not necessarily the same as total cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now make a statement about his proposals for improvements in family allowances.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he now has to increase family allowances.

Our immediate proposals for helping poor families with children are contained in the Family Income Supplements Bill, which the House is to debate this afternoon.

Will my right hon. Friend at least assure us that the use of the family allowance instrument as a means of helping families with young children is not excluded from his thinking as his social policy develops?

I can give my right hon. Friend that assurance. I hope to explain this afternoon why we chose a family income supplement for the first step.

Does the right hon. Gentleman accept the reasons given by the Chancellor for not introducing increased family allowances with claw-back? Does not he agree that that could perfectly well have been done if the Chancellor had been prepared to give a higher priority to raising the threshold at which people start to pay income tax, rather than taking 6d. off?

Yes, Sir—that is technically possible. I shall try to develop the arguments about this subject later this afternoon.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many pensions are being paid to men aged 87 years and over, and to women aged 82 years and over, under the National Insurance (Old Persons' and Widows' Pensions and Attendance Allowance) Act, 1970; and how many of these are receiving the full pension of £3 for a single person and £4 17s. for a married couple.

Up to and including 9th November, over 101,000 awards under Section 1 of the Act had been made. Of these about 550 are at less than the full rate and about 38,000 involved adjustments to supplementary pensions. Claims are still being received.

What is the saving to the Government in payments on supplementary benefit as a result of the introduction of this scheme?

As I mentioned, in 38,000 cases some adjustments have been made, but that means that in over 62,000 cases the full rates of benefit are being paid. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman and the House would wish to pay tribute to the staff of the Department and those who have helped us identify these claimants for the very speedy operation which has been carried out.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will amend the National Insurance (Contributions) Regulations, 1969, (S.I. No. 1696) so as to provide for the repayment of contributions to married women who, having made insufficient contributions, fail to qualify for retirement pension under the half-test condition; and if he will make this repayment retrospective in any cases which may be drawn to his attention.

I do not think it is necessary to amend the regulations, but I am writing to the hon. Member about the particular case which he brought to my notice.

I am very grateful to the hon. Gentleman. I hope that in considering the case he will be kind enough to take into account the fact that a constitutent of mine has paid more than 500 contributions but does not qualify for retirement benefit in her own right and has no right to the return of her contributions.

I think that the hon. Gentlemena will be pleased with the letter which he will receive from me shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to improve the provision of hospital beds and associated facilities in the area of the Blackpool and Fylde Group of hospitals.

Capital improvement schemes costing over £450,000 are in progress at hospitals in the Group. Construction of a 120-bedded maternity unit and additional nurses' residences at the Victoria Hospital is planned to start next year. Further schemes for improvement to the Victoria Hospital and Wesham Park Hospitals are intended.

While those plans are very welcome, is my hon. Friend aware that the area contains a high proportion of very old people who have retired there and therefore cannot rely on help from their families, and that this imposes an unusally heavy demand for hospital services? Do his Department's plans take that factor into account?

I note my hon. Friend's point. I understand that current plans for the next few years include capital improvements to geriatric services.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total number of resident doctors' quarters in the 26 London teaching hospitals and the numbers of these allocated to married accommodation.

A total of 1,229, of which 184 are allocated as married accommodation.

Is not that a ridiculously low proportion? Will the hon. Gentleman look again at the plight of the junior hospital doctors, who seem to be plagued by an antiquated Victorian attitude that they are not entitled to marry?

Good married accommodation is being provided in new hospitals, and my Department has made every effort to advise and encourage hospitals to provide such accommodation in existing or adaptable premises.

Does the Minister agree that one important factor in stemming the continued emigration of doctors is to offer them married accommodation so that they are not deterred from taking up resident hospital posts in this country?

I note the hon. Lady's point, and repeat that we are specifically making provision for good married accommodation in new hospitals.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek powers to amend the regulations to ensure that guardian's allowance is paid in respect of children immediately one parent is sentenced to life imprisonment, irrespective of the right of appeal, and where the other parent is already deceased.

This matter is being considered as part of a wider examination of the provisions under which guardian's allowance can be paid for such children.

Does the Minister agree that the welfare of innocent children should be the first consideration in such matters, and that therefore the allowance should be paid immediately sentence is passed, particularly bearing in mind that so few of the appeals succeed?

I fully understand the hon. Gentleman's point. This is one of the features to which he has drawn attention which is being considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what improvements have been made in the training of people likely to use anaesthetic machines as a result of a recent incident at Chase Farm Hospital, Enfield;

While nothing can totally eliminate all risk of human error, we have taken the tragedy at Enfield very seriously; special attention has been drawn to the existing advice on the use of anaesthetic equipment, and further advice will shortly be issued to hospitals.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there have been too many similar incidents over the past few years? Is he also aware that there have been repeated warnings to his Department on the use of those machines? Will he publish the instructions so that the public can see that they are being obeyed?

In this case there was a faulty connection, which would not have been possible if modern equipment subject to British Standards had been used. We are trying to replace the old equipment as rapidly as possible. I take note of the hon. Gentleman's point.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a White Paper setting out his proposals for the future of National Insurance.

I will announce my proposals in due course.

Since we understand that my right hon. Friend is to put National Insurance contributions on an earnings-related basis, and that they will be collected through the mechanism of Pay-As-You-Earn, can he assure the House that he is giving his full mind to the enormous advantages of a complete amalgamation of National Insurance with income tax?

Very deep issues are involved, but I will bear in mind my hon. Friend's suggestion.

If the right hon. Gentleman puts contributions on an earnings-related basis, will he also ensure that he puts benefits on an earnings-related basis, too?

The hon. Gentleman and the House had better wait for the proposals to be announced.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he will take to reduce the number of people dependent upon supplementary benefits.

I must ask my hon. Friend to await publication of my proposals for the reconstruction of National Insurance.

Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is appalling that more than four million people should be dependent on such supplementary benefits? Will he undertake to take urgent measures to reduce that number?

Yes, Sir. It would be rather more appalling if we were to have a lower standard of supplementary benefit and therefore reduce the number of people on it. The number on it to some extent reflects the level which the country regards as the tolerable minimum. Certainly, by raising the other resources of the elderly the Government desire to reduce the number on supplementary benefits.

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that the effects of the decision not to do anything about inflation between now and the next up-rating of old age pensions will mean in practice that a larger number of people will be dependent on supplementary benefits, unless the Government are prepared to intervene in the price increases?

We shall certainly try to abate the pace of inflation which we have inherited. It is some comfort in this situation that the Supplementary Benefits Commission exists to help people in need.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will introduce an isolation allowance in computing supplementary benefit for those who live in very isolated parts of the country.

No, Sir.

Would the hon. Gentleman accept that there is a real, though admittedly minority, problem here, and that if people feel that they they cannot maintain themselves in isolated parts of the country they are likely to move into the towns and be an even greater charge on the taxpayer and ratepayer combined? Is he aware that very real hardship is caused to those whose cost of living is substantial because they live well away from areas of communication?

I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will appreciate that it would be difficult to define the cases, but I can assure him that additional benefit can be granted in individual cases where there are exceptional needs.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he intends to take to protect those on low incomes from the effect of increased food prices consequent on the proposed change of method of financial support for the agricultural industry.

Social Security benefits are due to be reviewed next year.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman accept that the patterns of personal expenditure of people on low incomes, particularly old-age pensioners, are very different from those of other people, and that therefore they will suffer more than proportionately as a result of the Government's new food policies? Will he give an undertaking that all the measures the Government have introduced so far, allegedly to reduce poverty, will not be used as an excuse for not protecting people on low incomes from the wicked policy on which the Government are now embarking?

The Government's food policy is unlikely to have as much effect on food prices as the Labour Party's performance on prices generally, including food, during its period of office. I have made inquiries into the relativities of the pensioners' index and the general retail price index and I find that they are marching almost identically together.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will undertake research on the economic construction of hospitals designed for a limited life span and capable of being adapted or rebuilt at no great cost to accommodate future technological developments.

Designs are being developed to enable hospital activities of all kinds to be accommodated in building units of the same basic structure so that the units may be used for different purposes during the life of a hospital. This requires permanent structures. I am also considering extensions of the present uses of short-life building where this is appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to increase domiciliary and local health centre facilities in order to reduce the demand being placed on hospital beds and services.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he now has for the establishment of more health centres; and whether he will make a statement.

No loan sanction for a sensible health centre will be refused and I am considering other steps to encourage local authorities to provide more centres and community services.

Will my right hon. Friend pursue his efforts to encourage local authorities in this respect, because there is no doubt, in view of the shortage of nurses in particular, that anything done to relieve the pressures on hospitals must be to the benefit of the community as a whole.

Yes, Sir.

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that the future of the health centre is the future of general practice? We welcome his reply. Will he maintain the welcome increase in the number of health centres from 30 to 159 which has taken place since 1964?

Yes, Sir. I welcome the changing trend, the changing acceptability of the health centres, that has occurred in the past few years, and I shall do my best to maintain the pace.

When will the right hon. Gentleman publish his review of the hospital building programme, in view of the need completely to recast it to take account of the points made by his hon. Friend, apart from the effect of the district general hospital?

I hope to make a statement shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total cost to public funds of supplementary benefits for the families of persons involved in industrial disputes, and of administrative arrangements related thereto, in the first 10 months of 1970, 1965, 1960, 1955 and 1950, respectively.

As the reply contains a table of figures I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Would my hon. Friend not agree that at the present rate of progress the amount of strike subsidy next year will be running at about £1½ million? Has not the time arrived to suggest to the unions that they finance their own strikes, instead of expecting the taxpayer to do it for them?

My right hon. Friend is looking at all the problems involved here and I must ask my hon. Friend to await his consideration of them.

Since it has been the policy of successive Governments not to attempt to get at strikers by starving their families and denying them benefits, would the hon. Gentleman confirm that, in this respect at least, the neutrality of the State will remain as it has remained?

There is no question of getting at strikers, I can assure the hon. Gentleman and the House. But we have to take into account the figures, in view of the very bad strike record under the previous Administration.

Would the hon. Gentleman not agree that the answer to the strike problem is not to get involved in taking away assistance from the families of the strikers but to improve the existing conciliation machinery in the various industries? Is he aware that the Government are starting from the wrong end?

I am sure that the hon. Gentleman appreciates that that is not a question for me.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what alteration in expenditure he proposes on psychiatric research during the current year.

My Department's estimated expenditure in 1970–71 on research in mental illness is £96,000 and in mental handicap £110,000. The figures in 1969–70 were £72,000 and £43,000.

Now that a decision has been taken to help the mental hospitals, on which the right hon. Gentleman should be warmly congratulated, will he turn his attention to the proportion of our total research resources which is devoted to mental health? Would he not agree, in view of the urgency and scale of the need and of the opportunities in this area, that this proportion is ridiculously low?

It is only sensible to spend money on research when there is an effective object in mind. The hon. Gentleman will realise that the M.R.C. as well as my Department is involved in providing research.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what expenditure he proposes on health education in the current year; and what proportion of this will relate to mental health education.

Local authority expenditure is not collated centrally. The Health Education Council will spend about £456,000 in 1970–71, of which no part has been reserved specifically for mental health.

While paying tribute to the work of the Health Education Council, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman to bear in mind that probably at least 20 or 30 times more is spent on education about physical health than on education about mental health, which is almost wholly done by some admirable voluntary associations? Will he assure the House that he will give his support to those associations?

I do not underestimate the importance of public education, but mental health does not lend itself to quite the same facility for mass communication as do some of the other health subjects.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that if more education were given to the parents of mentally handicapped children dealing with how to care for their children, less money might need to be spent within the National Health Service and the hospital service on caring for such children?

I agree with that proposition wholeheartedly, on grounds of both humanity and effectiveness.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will institute a formal inquiry into the working of the Abortion Act, taking into consideration, amongst other relevant matters, the rights of an unborn child.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now introduce legislation to amend the law relating to abortion.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now set up a Committee of Inquiry to report on the working of the Abortion Act.

I hope to make a statement on this subject shortly.

When the right hon. Gentleman is considering his statement, will he bear in mind that there is widespread public disquiet at the extensive loss of human life that takes place, even though there may well be good medical and sociological reasons for the termination of pregnancy?

I have come to realise that there are strong elements of disquiet on all sides of this question.

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind before he makes his announcement that some of the difficulties to which this Act is subject can bring no joy to those who supported or opposed the original Measure? Is he aware that it is not a question of which side one is on but a matter of whether the law is working satisfactorily?

There is much in what my right hon. Friend says.

Would the right hon. Gentleman, when he reports, refer to regional differences in the operation of the Act and also to his investigations into costs and conditions in abortion clinics?

I will bear that point in mind.

Pending the statement, would my right hon. Friend give an assurance that he will do everything possible to see that nurses with conscientious objections to abortion are not put under pressure to make them assist?

If my hon. Friend is aware of any such pressure I would be very grateful to be told of it because it is abhorrent to the Government, obviously.

Would the right hon. Gentleman consider, before making his statement, whether members appointed to such an inquiry will be widely representative of different views expressed both before and during the passage of the Act? Will he consider the differences in the availability of abortion under the National Health Service in different parts of the country and will he also consider the apparent demand for abortion caused by inadequate family planning facilities?

The hon. Gentleman is jumping to premature conclusions, but I will note all that has been said.

Will the statement which the Minister is to make cover the workings of the Act in Scotland or will the Secretary of State for Scotland be making a statement on it?

The right hon. Gentleman will have to wait for a while.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what his policy is with regard to the problem of cigarette addiction, in view of the fact that more than 50,000 people in England and Wales die annually as a result of it and the widespread and disabling ill health it causes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will introduce legislation to strengthen health warnings relating to cigarette smoking.

I would refer the hon. Members to the reply given to the hon. Member for Ashton-under-Lyne (Mr. Sheldon) on 2nd November.—[Vol. 805, c. 270.]

Could the Minister take rather quicker and more effective action than his reply envisages? Is it not an extraordinary situation that the Secretary of State's Chief Medical Officer in his report protests against the lavish use of advertising for promoting cigarette making? Are not the Government to some extent conniving at what amounts to mass slaughter by the tobacco companies?

I take the subject as seriously as does my Chief Medical Officer.

May I press this matter of advertising? Will the right hon. Gentleman look again at his reply in view of the widespread concern that has been expressed, with a view to suggesting an entirely new code for arrangements in this sensitive area?

I am considering this subject very seriously. I can assure the House on that.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what administrative arrangements are made for liaison between immigration authorities and Medical Officers of Health in areas of immigrants' destinations.

The destination addresses of immigrants arriving at ports and airports in the United Kingdom for permanent settlement are sent by Medical Inspectors to the Medical Officers of Health of the areas to which they are going so that visits can be arranged.

May I thank the hon. Gentleman for that reply? Does he recall the incident in Perivale, in my constituency, which caused some concern when a young child arrived in this country and within 24 hours was going to school when he had typhoid fever? Does he realise that but for the remarkable way in which the Medical Officer of Health and his staff in the London Borough of Ealing dealt with this, there might have been a very serious situation? Has anything been learned from that incident which might be of benefit to the country as a whole?

I am grateful to the hon. Member for the immediate action he took in bringing this detailed case to our notice. He will recall the Answer I gave him in detail about this case in my letter to him on 31st July. We have learned a number of lessons from this, but wholesale holding back from school we believe would be too Draconian a measure to obviate this hazard.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will undertake a reorganisation of the National Health Service on the lines of the 1970 Green Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement on his Department's time-table with regard to the reorganisation of the National Health Service, either in accordance with, or in modification of, the Green Paper.

I would refer hon. Members to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Reading (Dr. Vaughan) on 5th November in which I said that the Government intend to unify the administration of the National Health Service.—[Vol. 805, c. 437–9.]

Would the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that the present system of making appointments to hospital management committees and regional hospital boards is undemocratic and self-perpetuating? Will he bear in mind that the Green Paper proposes a scheme for replacing the present system and that such a change is long overdue?

The details of how to carry out the recommendations are now being urgently studied.

Will my right hon. Friend in examining this do his best to remedy the blatant political imbalance caused over the past six years in appointments to hospital boards?

I will certainly be looking at the quality of management. That will be my main criterion.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now consider giving a special increment to nurses working in renal dialysis units in respect of the danger they incur from infective hepatitis and the specialist training needed for this work.

I am aware of the hazards present in the treatment of chronic renal failure and it is for this reason that an expert group under Lord Rosenheim has been set up to consider the medical problems involved. Nurses' pay is a matter for the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council.

Is it not wrong that a nurse who is nursing in venereal diseases gets an extra £50 a year when she is in no danger at all, yet nurses dealing with kidney machines may well die? Will the hon. Gentleman do two things? First, will he make sure that these nurses get a danger money increment and, secondly, will he look at the whole situation of what happens when a nurse who has probably got a form of dermatitis is infected and as a result is off sick for some time, suffering financial hardship?

I note what the hon. Gentleman said. I must repeat that the specific details that he brings to our attention must be left to the relevant Whitley Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has reached a decision on the future development of St. Goss Hospital, Rugby.

No, Sir.

In view of that Answer, would the Minister pay a Ministerial visit to my constituency? Is he aware that we have waited many years for this improvement, which is now desperately needed? How much longer are we supposed to wait?

The answer to the first part of the question is "with great pleasure", and to the second part I can say that action is imminent.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the total cost to date to public funds of supplementary benefits paid to the families of men involved in the council workers' strike, and of administrative arrangements necessitated by such payments.

Supplementary benefit payments to the families of local authority manual workers engaged in the dispute totalled approximately £75,000 up to 3rd November. I regret that administrative costs cannot be calculated.

That is a formidable sum. Does my right hon. Friend recall the Chancellor's appeal to the public to stand up to blackmail from inflationary wage demands? Would he not agree that one does not need to have the vested interests in inflation of a Jack Scamp—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."]—to feel that it is difficult to stand up to blackmail when one is being required to subsidise that blackmail?

My hon. Friend has already been told this afternoon that the Government are considering all the interrelated problems involved in this subject.

Could the right hon. Gentleman suggest to his hon. Friend that he should not make allegations of that kind in the Chamber against a well-known public servant? Would he also consider very carefully the fact that taxation has been paid by those involved for supplementary benefit and that they therefore have an entitlement to it?

The hon. Lady must recognise that there are large areas of public disquiet in this whole subject.

In view of the vindication of the council workers' claim, would it not be more appropriate for the hon. Gentleman to ask what amount of money was spent on engaging private contractors during this period? Would the right hon. Gentleman affirm that the Government do not intend to punish the families of those involved in trade disputes and so attach a stigma to a dispute which may have arisen for a variety of causes?

We are studying the whole of this subject. It is certainly no part of the Government's policy to cause any risk at all to children.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what new measures he is proposing to recruit more nurses to the hospital service.

Recruitment is primarily a matter for individual hospital authorities. I have no new measures to announce at present in support of their activities.

That is a very complacent Answer. In view of the consider able progress made under the Labour Administration in recruiting nurses and improving their conditions, will the Secretary of State give special attention to geographical areas where it is difficult to recruit the full complement and to medical fields like mental nursing for which it is also difficult to recruit?

Yes, Sir.

Would the right hon. Gentleman act on the report of Professor Briggs' Committee as soon as it is available because there is strong feeling among nurses and potential nurses about education, training and conditions of work which must be affecting recruitment?

I wish that the Committee had been set up earlier. It will be some time before the report is available, and I cannot commit the Government in advance.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in view of the need for hostel accommodation for girls and young women in London, if he will take steps to provide financial assistance for existing hostels in order to prevent their closure.

If the hon. Member is referring to the powers given by Schedule 4 of the Ministry of Social Security Act, 1966, this enables grants to be made only to hostels providing temporary accommodation for persons without a settled way of living.

The hon. Gentleman will know that my Question refers to homeless young women who come to London and therefore are very vulnerable. Even if it meant enlarging the scope of Schedule 4 of the Ministry of Social Security Act, would it not be better to do that so that adequate grants might be made to support young people before they get into trouble rather than incur the expense of dealing with them, both inside and outside prison, after they have got into trouble?

I assure the hon. and learned Gentleman that individual applitions are considered, and will be considered, on their merits.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether in view of the fact that expenditure on health services in this country is a lower proportion of national income than in other advanced countries, and the rate of increase is slower he will propose substantial increases.

International comparisons of this sort are not reliable guides. The Government have already announced an additional £110 million over the next four years.

The Government always use international comparisons when they redound to their advantage. Will they occasionally use them when they go against them? When the right hon. Gentleman introduces his new scheme, will he make sure that it does not include any element of necessity to disclose means to secure benefits? Many people object in principle to this. Will the right hon. Gentleman assure us that none of the benefits will involve disclosure of means to obtain them?

Our health charges and the remissions from them will be based on exactly the same principles as those in use under the last Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the will consider Wellingborough as the site of one of the pilot schemes for a community hospital.

Research continues. I cannot yet say which hospitals will be in pilot schemes.

Does my hon. Friend appreciate that my constituency is rapidly growing and that the hospital services are being reduced rather than increased? Therefore, will he consider my constituency's case with great favour in the immediate future?

I note my hon. Friend's point and that the Oxford Regional Hospital Board is a pioneer in community hospitals.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what alterations he is making in the hospital building programme.

I have nothing at present to add to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Renée Short) on 4th November.—[Vol. 805, c. 403–4.]

Surely the Secretary of State can give more details about the nature of the expansion of the hospital service. Surely he can say whether he will improve casualty services and services of that description.

I hope to make a statement shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide factilities for elderly inhabitants and others in the villages of southern Leicestershire, who are prevented by the absence of public transport from drawing their retirement pensions and receiving other social services.

There are already facilities for pensioners who cannot easiy get to a post office to nominate someone else to collect their payment for them.

Is my hon. Friend aware that in Leicestershire some people have to walk up to three miles to get their pensions? Will he arrange either for the pensions to be delivered by post or for a mobile post office service to be provided?

We hope to improve the arrangements when the payments are fully computerised. However, if my hon. Friend would like to send me details of the particular point he has in mind, I will gladly look into it.