§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many immigrant doctors are at present working in hospitals in Wolverhampton; and 210W what percentage they represent of the total number of doctors employed there;
(2) how many immigrant nurses, both qualified and in training, are at present employed in hospitals in Wolverhampton; and what percentage they represent of the total number employed there;
(3) how many immigrant porters, kitchen staff, maids and other hospital staff besides doctors and nurses are at present employed in hospitals in Wolverhampton; and what percentage they represent of the total in these categories employed there;
(4) how many immigrant domiciliary widwives are at present employed in Wolverhampton; and what percentage they represent of the total number of widwives so employed;
(5) how many immigrant doctors are working as general practitioners in Wolverhampton at present; and what percentage they represent of the total number.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Minister of Transport (1) how many immigrants are at present employed as drivers and conductors by the Wolverhampton Passenger Transport Authority; and what percentage they represent of the total number employed;
(2) how many immigrants are at present employed by British Railways as drivers, guards, porters and cleaners; and what percentage they represent of the total employed.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity (1) how many factories in Wolverhampton at present employ more than 20 per cent. immigrant workers; and how many of these factories are contributing significantly to the export drive;
(2) how many immigrants are at present employed by the building industry, particularly by those main contractors largely engaged on building houses, schools, hospitals, and roads.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) how many immigrants are at present employed by building firms and local authority direct labour departments concerned with house building and repair and maintenance work;
211W(2) how many local authorities at present employ immigrant workers in their refuse collection and sewage disposal departments;
(3) how many immigrants are at present employed in Wolverhampton's refuse collection and sewage disposal departments.
§ Mr. FernyhoughI have been asked to reply to the series of Questions my hon. Friend put down about the immigrant contribution to employment, nationally and in Wolverhampton in particular. Although it is not possible to answer all of them in the detail requested as many employers do not keep an accurate count, sufficient is known to show that workers from Commonwealth countries are doing many jobs which are vital to the social services and to the industries of places like Wolverhampton.
Many immigrants were attracted to this country in the first place because there were vacancies in necessary work in hospitals, in transport, in building and in manufacturing industries which were not being filled by local labour. They were and are meeting a vital need.
The following detailed information is available about the position in the West Midlands and Wolverhampton:
6 per cent. of all men employed in manufacturing industry in the West Midlands in 1966 were from India, Pakistan and West Indies. 67 per cent. of the platform staff employed by Wolverhampton Corporation Transport Department in May of this year were from the new Commonwealth countries. 50 doctors born outside the United Kingdom and Irish Republic are at present employed in hospitals in Wolverhampton, representing 36 pet cent. of all doctors working in the group.
On 1st October, 1968, 19 doctors born outside the United Kingdom and Irish Republic worked as general practitioners in Wolverhampton, representing about 19 per cent. of all family doctors working there. Fifty-eight trainee nurses, including trainee midwives from overseas are at present employed in hospitals in Wolverhampton, representing 18 per cent. of trainee nurses and midwives there. Information is not available for qualified nurses.
212WNine domiciliary midwives from the Caribbean are at present employed in Wolverhampton, representing 21 per cent. of the total midwifery staff in post there.