§ 10. Colonel Stoddart-Scottasked the Minister of Health what are the principles upon which has been based the acceleration of the release of medical officers from the Forces under Class A in order to relieve the inadequacy of medical services available for the civilian population; how many doctors will have been demobilised under existing arrangements by 1st January, 1946, under A and B; and how many will be demobilised from the services during the first six months of 1946.
§ Mr. BevanIn accelerating the release of medical officers from the Forces, the aim has been to reduce the ratio of doctors to serving personnel to about two per thousand. I cannot give the exact number who will have been released by 1st January next, but it is expected to be at least 5,000. I regret that I cannot yet give the figure asked for in the last part of the Question.
§ Colonel Stoddart-ScottIs the Minister aware that in the Navy there is one doctor for every 300 personnel, whereas in some parts of this country, there is one doctor 597 for every 3,000 persons; and is he satisfied that this acceleration is enough to catch up with this discrepancy?
§ Mr. BevanI am satisfied that very considerable acceleration has been achieved and will be achieved. The comparison of the number of doctors per thousand in civil life with the number of doctors in the Navy is obviously unfair, beacuse you have to have a certain number of doctors per ship.