§ 7. Mr. Peter Viggers (Gosport) (Con)If he will make a statement on the recruitment and retention of Defence Medical Services staff. [156735]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence(Mr. Ivor Caplin)I am pleased to say that recruitment to the Defence Medical Services remains in line with our expectations, and with anticipated better retention than for some years. Over the next four years, an increasing number of consultants and nurses will complete training, which will help to alleviate some of the shortages that have been experienced in the past. Retention of experienced medical personnel, especially in key specialist areas, remains the focus of management action, and we recognise that both pay and non-pay measures have a part to play in supporting the future development of the Defence Medical Services, which did, and continue to do, a first-class job in the Gulf for our armed forces.
§ Mr. ViggersWill the Minister confirm that the main conclusion of the Lawrence committee in 1998 was that the Defence Medical Services should move from the Royal Hospital Haslar to a new centre that was later identified as a 22-acre site at Selly Oak, Birmingham? Will he confirm that £200 million was allocated to fund the new centre, but that has now been withdrawn? Does that not effectively mean the collapse of the strategy set out by the Lawrence committee? Will he review that committee's decision, because my constituents and many others in the Defence Medical Services cannot believe that the Government intend to close the superb facilities at the Royal Hospital Haslar?
§ Mr. CaplinI know that the hon. Gentleman takes considerable interest in the se matters. In fact, I think that he was a member of the Select Committee in the 1992 to 1997 Parliament that dealt with many of the defence medical issues of the time. I know that he recently visited the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine in Birmingham. We remain absolutely committed to delivering a military medical centre of excellence at that establishment in Birmingham. We are pursuing a number of options to ensure that the centre continues to develop to meet the needs of the Defence Medical Services in the future.
§ Linda Gilroy (Plymouth. Sutton) (Lab/Co-op)My hon. Friend will know that a recent report from the Armed Forces Pay Review Body recognised certain shortages in nursing. How does the Department intend to tackle that? Will he join me in recognising the contribution made by staff a t establishments such as the Royal Naval hospital not only to our forces in the Iraq conflict but to our local communities?
§ Mr. CaplinI certainly join my hon. Friend in welcoming the key contribution that defence medical staff make—both abroad and here at home. I very much enjoyed meeting recently some of the members of the Defence Medical Services at Devonport in her constituency. We are going to introduce golden hellos for nurses, especially in specific areas in response to the Armed Forces Pay Review Body's recommendations. Those categories are: operating theatre nurses; accident and emergency; orthopaedic; intensive care nurses; burns; registered mental nurses; and registered general nurses. I believe that that will be an important contribution to the ongoing success of the Defence Medical Services.