Feature
It’s time the NHS sold out
Although things have improved, the NHS still invests heavily in the arms trade. Ray Hemmings reports on the latest figures
Last year I wrote an article (‘Into the arms of the NHS’, healthmatters issue 31,) which described the Clean Investment Campaign (CIC) being conducted by CAAT (the Campaign Against Arms Trade). It included a list of NHS trusts which held shares in at least one of the seven major arms-exporting companies that CAAT had investigated. We have now examined the 1997 shareholder lists of these same seven companies to discover current NHS investment.
To explain briefly: the CIC aims to persuade health institutions (among others) to withdraw their support (through shareholding) of arms exports. We think it is preposterous that institutions dedicated to preserving life and alleviating suffering should support the sale of weapons which are designed to kill and maim and whose use often results in famine, disease, homelessness and the dislocation of economic life.
By examining the company returns of their shareholders, we have identified which institutions hold shares in the major arms-exporting companies.
healthmatters readers are likely to be most interested in NHS trusts and health authorities (whose charitable funds may be invested), although there are many other health institutions (such as hospices, other hospitals, research bodies, private health schemes and so on) which are making investments in arms companies.
We were glad to find that 15 trusts had sold their arms shares during 1996-97. There were also eight health authorities who sold at least some of their holdings — although these sales may have been transfers to newly formed NHS trusts.
There are still six health authorities and nearly 40 NHS trusts holding shares in at least one of the arms-exporting companies. They are listed in the table on this page.
Attempting to persuade these institutions that their investments are not appropriate is mainly undertaken by CAAT members, but non-members are very welcome to join in.
You don’t have to carry banners — it is simply a matter of writing letters drawing attention to the implications of these investments, asking the institution responsible to reconsider the wisdom of contributing to the arms-trade, and being prepared to follow the initial letters up if the response is negative.
CAAT has published a campaign pack, full of background information about the arms trade, financial and legal matters which trustees have to consider, suggestions about letter writing and how to respond to the objections you may encounter. The full pack covering local authorities, religious bodies, health institutions and charities costs £5 but the introduction plus the section on health and charities is only £2.50, and is available from CAAT.
CAAT, 11 Goodwin Street, London N4 3HQ.
Ray Hemmings is co-ordinator of the CAAT Clean Investment CampaignCALL TO ARMS!
Here’s a step-by-step guide to encouraging your local trust or health authority to disinvest:
1. Choose the institution(s) you are going to approach.
2. You will be asking about their charitable trust funds.
3. Find out who manages investments. The trust board? The finance committee? Get names and addresses.
4. Find out from the finance director what shares they hold in arms-exporting companies (see table below for our 1997 list).
5. Write to the chair of the relevant committee (with copies to committee members, if possible) giving a short statement of your views and politely asking them to re-consider their investments.
6. For further information or help, contact Ray Hemmings on 0116 271 3027 or order a CIC Pack from CAAT (address on the left).
NHS INVESTMENT IN A SELECTION OF ARMS-EXPORTING COMPANIES
These figures are drawn from the latest available company returns (dates given below). Please remember that shares may have been sold or bought since these dates. Health Authorities Company Shares
Basingstoke & North Hampshire GEC 1,554
Grimsby GEC 3000
Liverpool GKN 4,250
BAe 25,000
GEC 9,500
Tyne & Wear GKN 3,000
Salford Rolls Royce 12,499
SW Surrey GEC 6,000
NHS Trusts Company Shares
Aberdeen Royal Hospitals trust GEC 50,000
Racal 30,000
Barnsley District General Hospital trust GEC 9,000
Bath Royal United Hospital trust GEC 10,500
Blackburn Communicare trust GEC 1,584
BAe 3,168
Blackburn, Hyndburn & Ribble Healthcare GEC 7,500
BAe 20,000
Bradford Hospital trust BAe 3,200
Bristol Frenchay Healthcare trust GKN 5.500
Bristol Southmead Health Services trust GEC 17,000
Countess of Chester Hospital trust BAe 6,848
GEC 3,424
East Cheshire trust (Macclesfield) BAe 2,000
GEC 4,000
GKN 2,265
Epsom Healthcare trust Racal 8,250
GEC 9,552
Greenwich Hospital General Fund GEC 70,000
GKN 25,000
BAe 25,000
Huddersfield trust GKN 5,000
Leicester Royal Infirmary trust LucasVarity 101,000
Rolls Royce 63,800
Lichfield, St John’s Hospital trust GEC 7,530
Lomond Healthcare trust GEC 2,600
NE Lincolnshire trust GEC 3,000
North Hampshire Hospitals trust GEC 3,446
North Manchester Healthcare trust GKN 2,000
GEC 10,000
North Mersey Community trust LucasVarity 3,000
North Tyneside Healthcare trust GEC 1,800
Nottingham City Hospital trust GKN 1,400
Renfrewshire Healthcare trust GEC 6,500
Rotherham General Hospitals trust GEC 6,500
Royal Liverpool & Broadgreen Hospitals GEC 11,000
LucasVarity 9,000
Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals trust Racal 4,950
BAe 1,200
Sandwell Healthcare trust Rolls Royce 3,500
Scottish Hospital trust (Edinburgh) GEC 96,000
Shropshire Community Health Service trust BAe 400
South Tees Acute Hospitals trust GKN 3,600
South Manchester University Hospitals trust GKN 2,860
GEC 6,000
LucasVarity 6,600
Southport & Formby trust GKN 2,000
GEC 6,800
Southport & Formby Community trust Racal 1,200
South Warwickshire Healthcare trust GEC 1,600
Wiltshire Healthcare trust GEC 2,250
Wirral Community Healthcare trust GEC 2,160
GKN 500
Wirral Hospital trust GEC 15,727
York Health trust LucasVarity 22,000
Rolls Royce 33,185
Dates of company returns: BAe May 1997; GEC Sept 1997; GKN May 1997; LucasVarity June 1997; Racal Aug 1997; Rolls Royce May 1997.
