§ 68. Mr. Messerasked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the enrolment fee of £1 1s. charged to an intermediate assistant nurse is likely to prevent the recruitment of many suitable applicants; and if he will consider some alteration with a view to the encouragement of enrolment.
§ Mr. BevanI have not received any general representations on this point and I have no reason to think that this fee is a deterrent to enrolment.
§ Mr. MesserIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are girls who have not been working but have had sufficient training to be intermediate assistant nurses, and they have been asked for a guinea before 2099 they have earned any money at all? Surely that must be a deterrent?
§ Mr. BevanThere are a large number of organisations, as the hon. Member knows, looking after the welfare of nurses, and no representations have been made to me on this point, but I will certainly look into it and see if it is a bar.
§ 86. Major John Morrisonasked the Minister of Health in which category of hospital, voluntary or municipal, the shortage of nurses is the greater.
§ Mr. BevanThe shortage of nurses is in general greater in the municipal hospitals, which include tuberculosis sanatoria and a large number of beds for the chronic sick.