§ 28. Mr. Walkerasked the Minister of Labour if he is now in a position to say when mental defective institutions will be supplied with the necessary attendants and domestic staff, of which they are in such need.
§ Mr. IsaacsDuring 1945 my Department placed 2,480 women and 381 men in mental nursing or mental deficiency nursing. In addition, employers engaged just over 1,000 nurses by direct contact, making a total of practically 4,000 persons engaged for mental nursing and mental deficiency nursing during the year. I have no separate figures of placings of domestic workers in this field, but in 1945 my local officers filled nearly 50,000 domestic vacancies in hospitals of all types.
§ Mr. WalkerDoes my right hon. Friend realise that there are numbers of these mental defective institutions which are complaining very bitterly about not having staff and servants at their disposal, and so long as this state of affairs continues their administration and management become almost impossible?
§ Mr. IsaacsYes, Sir, we are aware of that, and every step is being taken to find the labour, but if the labour does not exist we cannot supply it.
§ Mr. WalkerIn view of that answer, 1 beg to give notice that I will bring this matter up on the Adjournment.