§ 23. Mr. K. Robinsonasked the Minister of Health what assurances he has given to the Royal College of Nursing about the provision of additional funds for nurse recruitment in the coming financial year; and to what extent such funds will be additional to the initial allocations made to hospital authorities.
§ 24. Dame Irene Wardasked the Minister of Health what assurances of additional financial provision for increased nursing staff he has given to the Royal College of Nursing, following a recent deputation from them; and if he will make a statement regarding his policy on this matter for the next financial year.
§ Mr. PowellI am sending the hon. Members copies of my letter to the Royal College of Nursing. The additional spending power already allocated to Regional Boards will enable them to continue to increase nursing staff when necessary.
§ Mr. RobinsonDoes not the right hon. Gentleman realise that the assurances he has given to the Royal College of Nursing are utterly worthless, since the allocation for nursing salaries in the coming financial year is barely 2½yer cent. greater in money terms than the amount provided last year—an allocation which led to a most painful decline in nurse recruitment? Is it not quite clear that the hospitals will not be empowered to increase their nursing establishments by any noticeable proportion in the coming year?
§ Mr. PowellThe hon. Member is under a misapprehension. There are no specific allocations for nursing salaries, 14 and the additional purchasing power on constant prices and salaries in the coming year for the hospital service will enable hospitals, where additional nurses are required, to increase their numbers as they have been doing for the last eighteen months.
§ Dame Irene WardWould I be right in assuming that after a period of great obstinacy on the part of my right hon. Friend, having received a deputation from the Royal College of Nursing—and having been given all the evidence which that College had collected on the subject —he came to the conclusion that a great deal of what he had said before was incorrect? When my right hon. Friend sends me a copy of the letter which has been sent to the Royal College of Nursing, will be also publish in HANSARD the correspondence which took place between himself and the Royal College so that we can see whether or not the Royal College is satisfied?
§ Mr. PowellI am not sure whether it would be appropriate to publish the whole of the correspondence in HANSARD—
§ Dame Irene WardI will ask the College.
§ Mr. Powell—but I am sure that the Royal College will itself publish anything it wishes to be known. I consider that my recent meeting with the College was useful and that my letter to it put the facts in their true light.