The petition of residents of Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill,

Declares that the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Jeane Freeman's unilateral executive decision to remove the current site of University Hospital Monklands as an option for the location of the new University Hospital Monklands will detrimentally impact healthcare provision across Lanarkshire; further that the current site offers significant advantages for a new hospital such as its existing public transport infrastructure; further that the unilateral executive decision taken by the Cabinet Secretary is in defiance of the recommendation of the Monklands Hospital Independent Review for greater public consultation on the location of the new University Hospital Monklands; further that concerns have failed to be addressed regarding the two alternative location options for the new hospital, particularly whether the offer of land in Glenmavis can be withdrawn at the whim of the owner; further that the Scottish Government should rebuild the planned new University Hospital Monklands on the site of the current hospital as it is the most suitable option for the greatest number of people in the Monklands community and is essential to those it serves.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to make representations to the Scottish Government on their behalf to have the current hospital site reinstated as an option for the location of the new University Hospital Monklands.

And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Hugh Gaffney, Official Report, 16 October 2019; Vol. 666, c. 420.]

[P002532]

Observations from the Minister for Care (Caroline Dinenage):

Health and Social Care is largely devolved across the United Kingdom. As such, it is for the Scottish Government to set their own priorities for its health service and to make decisions regarding the operations of the healthcare system across Scotland.