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Rhodesia:
[LORDS]
[Lord Shepherd.] fulfil our commitment to the colony of Hong Kong, for some form of counselling and advisory service to be set up to inform the Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong of the possibilities and the openings in this country?
Lord BELSTEAD: Yes, my Lords. I am most grateful to the noble Lord. I think that his second question in parti- cular is something which officials in the Government, especially in my right honour- able friend's department, would want to look at very carefully. May I just say in reply to the noble Lord's first question that, as I think he will be aware, the selection is carried out by officials of the Home Office and the British Council for Aid to Refugees, and they have indeed recently returned from their third visit to Hong Kong. I think it is fair for me just to say that arrivals here have at no time been limited by a lack of refugees already selected, and we do not think there is at present a 'need to maintain a permanent selection team in Hong Kong. But, in the light of the noble Lord's question, we will certainly keep this matter under very close review. As I said, so far as the second question is concerned, I think the noble Lord will forgive me if I say that I should like to take it away and draw my right honourable friend's attention to it and, if need be, write to the noble Lord.
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Actions Against Zambia Commission; and to repeal certain obsolete enactments relating to those forces. I beg to move that this Bill be now read a first time.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 1a. -(The Lord Chancellor.)
On Question, Bill read 12, and to be printed.
GREATER LONDON COUNCIL (GENERAL POWERS) BILL
Read 2a, and committed to an Unopposed Bill Committee.
GREATER LONDON COUNCIL (MONEY) BILL
Read 2a, and committed to an Unopposed Bill Committee.
THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE
3.6 p.m.
Lord WINSTANLEY rose to call attention to the increasing inability of the National Health Service to meet the needs of patients, and to the necessity for the more efficient use of existing resources and the improvement of in- dustrial relations within the service, and to move for Papers. The noble Lord said: Lord SHEPHERD: I thank the noble My Lords, I beg to move the Motion Lord.
IMMIGRATION RULES
Lord DENHAM: My Lords, as my noble friend Lord Belstead has already told your Lordships, with the leave of the House my noble friend will be repeating a Statement on the immigration rules at a convenient moment after 3.30 p.m.
RESERVE FORCES BILL [H.L.]
The LORD CHANCELLOR: My Lords, I beg to introduce a Bill to con- solidate certain enactments relating to the reserve and auxiliary forces, and the lieutenancies, with amendments to give effect to a recommendation of the Law
standing in my name on the Order Paper. As noble Lords are aware, this is one of those rare occasions-some, though by no means all, might say too rare occasions -on which the privilege of selecting the topic for debate in your Lordships' House is bestowed upon noble Lords sitting on the Liberal Benches. I hope that in focusing attention on the National Health Service and its present problems and inadequacies, we are not merely pursuing
long-standing interest and
pre- occupation of our own, which dates back to the National Insurance Act 1911-a Liberal measure. This gave birth to the beginnings of the National Health Service, with the old panel doctor and so on for insured persons, though, un- happily, not for the dependants of insured persons; a measure taken further by a notable document, the Beveridge Report. whose author was a distinguished Liberal
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Member of your hope that we are a of this House as a
We have amon Baronesses with i experience of th lective wisdom, a ment must be de the National H surely not be al And, after all, w not, we are all patients.
In di before the Gove mind about the Commission and it is surely appr ships' House sho to make the kin bution to the for making of which capable.
I must begin as a doctor with experience worki Service, and as on this subject, magic instantane ary therapeutic stroke, could s in-patients or treatment; empt
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reduce their vi skilled and nec doctors and nur chiropodists and kind who, in so at the moment closure of ph proceeding at nine per week inconvenience t areas; bring ba those anaesthet consultants require linguist left our shores erations in the service in distri make kidney tr to all who need when GPs had their patients well; or, indee mony, commit tween all those within the Na a commitment rather than, p