§ Mr. Proctorasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he will be taking, in the light of the National Association of Local Government Officers' ballot to boycott approved social worker examinations, to ensure that sufficient social workers are approved for the purposes of the Mental Health Act 1983 by 28 October.
§ Mr. John Patten[pursuant to his reply, 23 January 1984, 52 c. 445]: I understand from the Central Council for the Education and Training of Social Workers that 550 social workers sat for the assessment at the first sitting on 30 November, and that another 1,100 places have been booked for the sitting in February. I see no reason at present to doubt that when the four sittings so far fixed by CCETSW are completed there will be sufficient approved social workers to give effect to Parliament's decisions on a valuable safeguard of standards, which the British Association of Social Workers has again commended to the profession.