HC Deb 06 July 1983 vol 45 cc129-30W
Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many nurses specialising in paediatrics are trained each year; and how many paediatric nurses are currently employed within the National Health Service.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

Figures supplied by the General Nursing Council for England and Wales show that the number of nurses who qualified for admission to the register for sick children's nurses is as follows:

Year 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 *1983
(i) New/renewal claims decided by insurance officer 13,700 13,900 13,700 12,400 13,500 6,600
(ii) Appeals decided by a local tribunal 4,700 1,900 1,900 1,500 1,400 620
(iii) Appeals as a percentage of (i) 34 14 14 12 10 9
(iv) Appeals decided in favour of appellant 2,300 770 780 590 560 245
(v) Successful appeals as a percentage of (ii) 48 40 42 39 41 39
(vi) Commissioner's decision† 74 382 183 219 122 44
(vii) Commissioner's decisions in claimant's favour† 43 285 43 64 19 7
(viii) Favourable decisions as a percentage of (vi)† 58 75 23 29 16 16
Notes:
* 1983 figures are up to June 1983.
† Commissioner's decisions include appeals by insurance officer.

Ms. Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the latest estimated cost of abolishing the household duties test for non-contributory invalidity pension for housewives, specifying (a) the gross cost, (b) the net cost, (c) the savings on dependency additions and other benefits and (d) savings on the administration of the test.

Mr. Newton

The estimated cost, based on November 1982 rates of benefit, is as follows:

£ million
Gross cost 300
Savings on national insurance dependency additions 25
Net cost 275

The net effect on administrative costs would be an increase estimated to be of the order of £2.5 million.

March Number
1978 549
1979 647
1980 736
1981 675
1982 705
1983 800

Information is not available centrally as to how many RSCNs are currently employed in paediatric nursing in the NHS. However, the number of qualified nursing staff employed in the paediatric area of work in England in September 1981 was 4,940, in whole-time equivalent terms, and a survey in 1980 found that 82 per cent. of sisters and 63 per cent. of staff nurses working with children were RSCNs.