QUESTION AND ANSWER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 97, 10 August 1943, Page 7

QUESTION AND ANSWER

SUBJECTS FOR THE HOUSE

HOSPITAL COSTS

A printed list of questions put by members to the Ministers of various departments during the present session of Parliament contains the following from Mr W. Sullivan (Bay of Plenty) to the. Minister of Health. The Minister of Health >vas asked whether he will, in the interests, of sound administration, take sueli steps as may. l)e required to amend section 92 of the. Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1926, to ensure that 110 Board may charge any other Board for maintenance of jKitients in excess of slieh rate per day as was being paid during the preceding financial year; or, alternatively, at such rate as may be approved by the Minister and notified by any one Board to another prior to the financial year? (Note. — Cases can be cited where one Board to another has altered the rate from 12s per day for adults and (is for children to 15s per day in both cases, thus involving the Board in < expenditure not budgeted for to the extent of several hundreds of pounds, necessitating an advance against subsidy and generally upsetting the Board's finances). Reply The Hon. Mr Nordmeyer (Minister of Health) replied, Section 92 of the. Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1926, is intended to protect the finances of a Board which affords hospital treatment or other relief to residents of another Board's district, and therefore provides that the Board affording relief shall be entitled, to recover the cost thereof. Consideration is being given to the proposal that the amount charged by Boards should be uniform throughout the Dominin. Dumping of Potatoes Mr Broadfoot (Waitomo) asked the Minister of Marketing—(l) Whether he will explain why 200' sacks of potatoes were, dumped at the rubbish tip in Liardet Street, Berhamjjore, last week? (2) Win* Avere these not put into consumption during the. shortage, when })otatoes were almost unprocurable in Wellington?, Reply ' The Hon. Mr Barclay (Minister, of Marketing) replied, These potatoes were placed on the tip about 23rd February by a Wellington firm of fruit and. produce merchants, and consisted of approximately two hundred sacks of odd season's Ohakune potatoes, received on consignment by that firm. The potatoes when received were water-logged, having been held too long in the ground, anil the first sales made by the' company resulted in immediate com- , plaints being made by buyers. They have been persistently offered for sale at any price, even as low as Is 'per sack, but no one would touch them because there, were ample quantities of first-quality potatoes available to meet all demands. Ihey were finally placed on the tip without any reference to the Internal Marketing Division. The. potatoes, were grower's. properlV sent on consignment, and there? were no restrictions on their sale to any one at anj' priceSale of Pigs M.r Broadfoot (Waitomo) asked the Minister ol' Marketing. Whether it is the intention of the Government to prohibit the sale of. pigs in the open market; and, if so, does this mean that they must be sold only on the hooks and at a fiat rate of per pound? (Note.— Pigs have recently sold, in the open market up to 8d per pound). * Reply The. Hon. Mr Barclay (Minister of Marketing) replied, lit is not intended at present to prohibit the sale oT pigs .in the open market. Present lixed prices are 6%d per pound, during the summer period and 7%d per pound during the. winter months.