497 Proposed Hospital [ 23 MARCH 1965] in M otherwe/1 49.g on this particular Committee should be HOUSE OF LORDS generailly known? THE LORD CHANCELLOR: My Tuesday, 23rd March, 1965 Lords, the -Pr-ime Minister is solely respon­ sible for the advice which he chooses .to· The House met at half past two of g,ive to the Soverei,gn, and the Government the clock, The LORD CHANCELLOR on the does not ,propose to depart from the pre­ Woolsack. cedent of its predecessors in declining to give ,information as to how he arrives at Prayers-Read by the Lord Bishop his opinion. of Liverpool THE LATE SIR WINSTON PROPOSED HOSPITAL IN CHURCHILL: TRIBUTE FROM MOTHERWELL SENATE OF OREGON LORD FERRIER: My Lords, I beg THE LORD CHANOELLOR (LoRD leave to ask the Question which stands in GARDINER): My LO)'ds, I have to inform my name on the Order Paper. the House that I have received from the [The Question was as follows: President of rhe Senate of Oregon a Resolution adopted by the Senate on To ask Her Majesty's Government January 29, 1965, in tribute to the memory whether they are aware of the wide­ of the late Sir Winstou Churchill. I am spread anxiety among individuals and placing this Resolution in the Library, and local authorities in the Upper Ward of I propose, with yonr Lordships' permis­ Lanarkshire at the proposal to estab­ sion, to ex,press on your behalf the thanks lish a new general hospital in Mother­ of the House for the generous terms of well to take over the functions of the the Resolution. existing hospital at Law, involving a marked increase in the already great distances which patients and visitors THE MAECENAS COMMITTEE AND have to travel from a large area with­ HONOURS out adequate compensating advan­ tages; and, further, whether they are 2.37 ,p.m. satisfied that the proposed site, with its THE EARL OF ARRAN: My Lords, I already limited area, can provide suffi­ beg leave to ask the Question which stands cient parking space for duty, staff and in my name on the Order Pa·per. visitors' vehicles in terms of present [The Question was as follows: day and estimated future require­ To ask Her Majesty's Government ments.] .the membership and ,functions of the Committee commonly known as the THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY Maecenas Committee.] UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SCOTLAND (LORD HUGHES): My THE LORD CHANCELLOR: My Lords, after considerable discussion with Lords, ,it has never been the practice to local interests, the previous Administra­ answer questions about the information tion approved the Regional Hospital which a Prime Minister takes into account Board's proposal that the new district in giv.ing -the Sovereign any advjce he general hospital at Motherwell should chooses to -give on the qnestion of honours. serve the Motherwell-Hamilton area and that, in addition to long-stay beds, TuE EARL OF ARRAN; My Lords, a number of acute beds in the major while thanking the noble and :learnedLord specialties should be retained at Law for his information, I ,would ask, is it not Hospital to serve the upper ward. My a fact that this Committee consists of, right honourable friend the Secretary of among others, intellectuals and represen­ State approves the course proposed. The tat,ives of the arts, and would Her 39-acre site at Motherwell is considered Majesty's Government not agree that since fully adequate for the intended purpose. such folk are not always eutirely objec­ tive in .their judgments of one another it LORD FERRIER: My Lords, while is desirable that the names of those sittfag thanking the noble Lord for his reply, Vol. 264 I Kalahari Desert 499 Bushmen of the [LORDS] 500 [Lord Fernier.] may I ask whether he is satisfied that the BUSHMEN OF THE KALAHARI authorities fully grasp the fact that, since DESERT that plan was decided, and indeed since 2.40 p.m. this Question was put down, new develop­ LORD ALPORT: My Lords, I beg ment plans for building in Lanarkshire leave to ask the Question wb�oh stands have been published which will alter the in my name ou the Order Paper. whole population pattern of the area so as to alter the premises upon which the [The Question was as follows : original plan was based? To ask Her Majesty's Government HUGHES whether ,they have considered t:he LORD : My Lords, I take it report of Mr. George Silberbauer on that the noble Lord is referring to the the future of tihe Bushmen of tihe proposed development at Carluke. In Kalabari, Desert and whose' responsi­ that case the effect of the development bility it will, be to implement its would be to increase slightly the number recommendations.] of beds required at Law. It will not affect in any way the fact that the con­ LORD SORENSEN: My L6rds, wiith venient centre for the densely populated permission, may I reply on beqa,l.f of my Hamilton-Motherwell area is Mother­ noble friend Lord Taylor, who is un­ well. able to be present to-day. Tfiis report, which was published in Bedmanaland LORD FERRIER: My Lords, while earlier this month, has not yet been for­ tb.anking the noble Lord, may I say that warded to Her Majesty's Government. the plans also include extension to build Responsibility for implemen�ing such up ,the population in Lanark, thereby recommendations ais may be accepted will increasing the number of people in the be that of the Government of �eohuana­ landward area of Lanarkshire, increasing land, to whom the report was submi.tted. the numbers who will have to travel larger distances than ever in order to LORD ALPORT: My Lords, in view visit patients at of the potential importance of this report receive attention or to of view of anthwpology, Motherwell? from the po�nt may I ask the Minister wihether i.t is to LORD HUGHES: My Lords, I think bt made available to the publfrc here in it is inevitable in the system of hospitals •the United Kingdom ; and, secondly, as we have them Ibat some people must whether ,the Minister will undertake that travel a certain distance to the most suit­ -the recommendations are acted upon able hospital. 'I1bat is a small price to before Beohuanaland becomes indepen­ pay for making available to them the dent? best possible medical treatment in con­ LORD SORENSEN: My Lords, as to venient centres, and my right honour­ the first part of the noble Lord's Ques­ able friend is satisfied that �he arrange­ tion, most certainly the reporit, when it ment, considered at great length by bis is received here and properly considered, predecessor and approved by him, is one will be made available ,to M�mbers of from which he wonld find difficulty in this Hause. Witll regard to the laHer departing. part of the question, I personally am unaware of whait the actual ,procedure will be, but I presume the res·po�bility in any case wiill be -tJhait ,of BecJmanaland itself and its Government, no doubt with every ·encoumgement from our Govern­ ment in ·this country. LORD ALPORT: My Lords, I am sorry to press t!his and I know the Minister cannot answer in the absence of Lord Taylor. But would he take this ,point to Lord Taylor, because I believe it to be of great dmporuance in th� interests of this vulnerable minority in the Bechuanaland Protectorate? 501 London Government (Public [ 23 MARCH 1965] General Acts) Order 1965 502 LORD SORENSEN: My Lords, I fully some appropriate journal, amplifying the appreciate wha,t rthe noble Lord thas said.· points that he has made? I ,am personally very interested in �his matter. I will certainly undertake to LORD SHACKLETON : My Lord1;, I convey to my noble friend Lord Taylor am much in sympathy with the noble whM :the noble Lord bas said. Lord's views. There was an article in the Scotsman on March 11, and there are available a number of documents, of which some have been published in the DEEP DIVING TECHNIQUES IN United States. The same point had ROYAL NAVY occurred to me as to the noble Lord, 2.42 p.m. that it would be a good idea if such a LoRD WAKEFIELD OF KENDAL: lecture or opportunity could be pro­ My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Ques­ vided ; and the possibility even of a tion which stands in my name on the visit to the establishment is being con­ Order Paper. sidered. But I take note of the noble Lord's observations, because this is one [The Question was as follows : of the most exciting and dramatic of To ask Her Majesty's Government fields, and it may be possible for a man whether they will now make a state­ to go down to much greater depths. ment on the progress of oxy-helium deep diving techniques by the Royal LORD WAKEFIELD OF KENDAL: Navy.] My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for that further reply, and for the THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE FOR sympathetic interest he is taking in this THE ROYAL AIR FORCE (LORD most important subject. SHACKLETON): My Lords, the decision was taken in 1962 to embark on a pro­ gramme of research into deep diving be. THE PALACE OF cause it had become increasingly apparent WESTMINSTER that there was a requirement for Navy divers to be able to operate in deep water LORD SHEPHERD: My Lords, at a for such tasks as the recovery of crashed suitable moment after 3.30 my noble aircraft and missiles, and, possibly, sub­ friend the Leader of the House will be marine escape and salvage.