§ 18. Mr. Clinton Davisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now make a statement concerning the Government's policies on the recommendations contained in the Quirk Report on speech therapists.
§ 28. Mr. Willeyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made in the consultations on the Quirk Report on the speech therapy services.
§ 32. Mr. Edelmanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he proposes to implement the recommendations of the Quirk Report in relation to the future of speech therapy.
§ Sir K. JosephI regret that I am not able to make the statement to which I referred in my reply to the hon. Member for Hackney, Central (Mr. Clinton Davis) on 17th December. [Vol. 866, c. 270–1.] My officials will be consulting with the profession on the implications of unifying the service.
§ Mr. DavisIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is grave disquiet in this profession as a result of the uncertainty in which it is placed because it cannot ascertain the Government's views about the recommendations in the report? Are the Government prepared to state what target they have for recruitment to the profession and what steps they are taking to recruit married women and others to it?
§ Sir K. JosephMy officials are consulting the profession on the implications of unifying the service. I shall make a full statement as soon as I can.
§ Mr. WilleyIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the report clearly shows that this profession, which is not properly rewarded, is in short supply in the Health Service, and that this delay will prejudice this position? In view of this serious situation, will he expedite consideration of the report?
§ Sir K. JosephI have been under pressure from the hon. Member for Halifax (Dr. Summerskill) and my hon. Friend the Member for Maidstone (Mr. John Wells) on this subject. I am absolutely convinced of the importance of the profession, but I regret that I am not yet quite ready to make a statement.
§ Mr. John WellsWill my hon. Friend give an assurance that pay for this particular profession will be improved? Pay is at the root of the recruitment problem.
§ Sir K. JosephI think that that, as always in the first instance, is a matter for the Whitley Council.
§ Mr. EdelmanApart from the important question of pay, will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind the recommendation of the Quirk Committee on the urgent need to unify the organisation of these services? Going beyond that, will he also bear in mind the need for combined research by neurologists, linguists and others in related disciplines into the question of human communication raised in the report?
§ Sir K. JosephMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science has already announced that the Government have accepted a recommendation for the unification of the service.