HL Deb 16 July 1973 vol 344 cc932-4
LORD COLERAINE

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will introduce an Order under Part III of the Medical Act 1956, so that medical degrees of the University of Rhodesia may be recognised in this country as elsewhere.

LORD ABERDARE

My Lords, the right of a holder of a medical degree of the Rhodesian University to practise in this country would depend on recognition of that degree by the General Medical Council as well as on the making of an Order in Council under Part III of the Medical Act 1956. We have the matter under active consideration.

LORD COLERAINE

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for what I hope was a fairly sympathetic reply. The point of my Question was that while the General Medical Council is the only body which can award medical degrees, is it not the case under the law as it stands that the General Medical Council is prevented from awarding such degrees? In view of what my noble friend the Minister of State said in your Lordships' House less than a week ago, that the University of Rhodesia is a genuinely multi-racial institution, and that multi-racial institutions ought to be supported, will my noble friend do his best to ensure that a law is introduced which will enable the General Medical Council, if it sees fit, to award degrees, as Birmingham University has been doing for the past 10 years?

LORD ABERDARE

Yes, my Lords, my Answer was intended to be sympathetic. We realise, as my noble friend said, that the University of Rhodesia is a multi-racial institution. The fact is, of course, that it has been a university only since 1970 and previously its degrees were recognised by Birmingham University. The present position is that Birmingham University will continue to recognise degrees for all those who entered that institution by March, 1970, so that the problem will not arise until 1976. I can assure my noble friend that we are looking into it. But the General Medical Council is involved, as well as Part III of the Medical Act 1956.

LORD COLERAINE

My Lords, I do not want to press my noble friend, especially as he is being so understanding, but surely it is not right to say that the problem will not arise until 1976, because any black medical student who wants to take a medical degree at the University of Rhodesia now will not know whether or not that degree will be recognised. Surely this is a point which should be cleared up as quickly as possible.

LORD ABERDARE

My Lords, I take my noble friend's point. If the student entered before March, 1970, he would know that he would get his degree from the University of Birmingham. But I see that if he is now studying, having joined since 1970, he might not appreciate what the final outcome would be. There are complex legal matters involved with this matter, as my noble friend will appreciate, and we are looking at it very actively.

LORD SEGAL

My Lords, can the Minister give an assurance that no political considerations will be allowed to enter into this issue, and that it will be judged solely on the medical standards?

LORD ABERDARE

Yes, my Lords, the medical and the legal standards.

BARONESS LLEWELYN-DAVIES OF HASTOE

My Lords, may I ask whether the noble Lord is aware that because Birmingham University has always not merely accepted these degrees but also directed the whole course of medical education in Rhodesia, the students are as well trained as any medical students anywhere in the world? Could the noble Lord therefore try to speed up this legal process, because otherwise a great many people may not wish to take the medical degree which is so desperately needed in Africa?

LORD ABERDARE

Yes, my Lords, I certainly will see that things go ahead as fast as possible.