HC Deb 22 January 1963 vol 670 cc15-6
17. Mr. Boyden

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what progress has been made in implementing the recommendation of the Porritt Working Party that his Department should prepare a code for terms of medical appointments overseas.

The Secretary for Technical Co-operation (Mr. Dennis Vosper)

I accept the recommendation in the Report and my Department is preparing a code.

Mr. Boyden

Can the right hon. Gentleman say when it will be ready? Surely this is a simple administrative measure? The Ministry of Education has already prepared a similar code for education. Can the right hon. Gentleman give a date when it will be ready and say what steps will be taken to make it well publicised?

Mr. Vosper

This is quite a simple operation, but I am anxious to publish the decisions from the whole of the Porritt Report together. This has required considerable discussions which are now nearly complete, and I hope to make a statement in a few weeks.

18. Mr. Boyden

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what funds he has made available, and what steps he has taken, to enable senior medical visitors to Commonwealth countries to spend short periods in teaching duties on the lines recommended by the Porritt Working Party on Medical Aid to the Developing Countries.

Mr. Vosper

Money is already available for this purpose, although the sum is not specified. This and other recommendations of the Porritt Working Party have been taken into account in formulating my Department's estimates for 1963–64. I am bringing the Report of the Working Party to the notice of overseas Governments.

Mr. Boyden

I appreciate the right hon. Gentleman's statement about the Porritt Report, but can he be more explicit about this particular item? Surely the Working Party laid particular stress on this? Can the right hon. Gentleman give some approximate idea of how much will be available?

Mr. Vosper

That would be difficult, because it depends on the requests made by overseas Governments. No new machinery is necessary, but, regarding these recommendations, I have stated that they were taken into account when framing the estimates for 1963–64. Perhaps I could take this opportunity of thanking Sir Arthur Porritt and his Working Party for this Report.