LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The Case of Mr., Messer
SIR,—The letters of Dr. E. C Warner and Brigadier Skentelbery throw into relief issues that go deeper even than the fate of the Kingston Victoria and similar general practitioner hospitals. When the matter was quite properly raised on adjournment by the Member for Kingston- on-Thames, Mr. Fred Messer intervened in the debate to warn the Minister that if he granted an independent and impartial inquiry he would have trouble from one end of the country to the other.
It is a commendable and invariable custom for M.P.s who have a financial interest in any subject under discussion in the House to disclose their interest at the beginning of their speech. A new and not wholly desirable practice appears to be growing up of appointing Members of Parliament to responsible posts in the nationalised services. Mr. Messer holds two important positions in the National Health Service. He is chairman of the Central Health Services Council and chairman of a Regional Hospital Board. These are not paid appoint- ments, but they carry with them power and influence which many would regard as no less covetable attributes than monetary remuneration. There was no obligation on Mr. Messer to remind the House that he had this interest in pleading with the Minister " to let the Regional Hospital Boards get on with their job."
If the practice of appointing Members of Parliament to influential posts within the gift of Ministers is to continue, it should surely become a point of honour with such Members to make it clear, when they take part in a debate, that they are speaking with a vested interest in support- ing or defending the Minister. But is it desirable that such a practice should continue ? Is it either seemly or expedient that those who are elected to represent collectively the interests of the community at large should hold even offices of no profit under the Crown by virtue of which they are stopped from criticising on their constituents' behalf a national service or a nationalised industry ? I hesitate to employ an overworked terminology, but, if ever the term " undemocratic" was justifiable, it would surely be applicable here.—Yours, &c., Authors' Club, 2 Whitehall Court, S.W.1. DAVID STELLING.
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