§ Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list her estimates for orthopaedic consultant posts that will be required in England in 1994, 1995 and 1996.
§ Mr. SackvilleThis information is not available centrally. The Government encourage expansion of consultant numbers, but the Department of Health does 835W not plan consultant numbers. Consultant expansion is a matter for local employing authorities who should have regard to the health care needs of their local population and competing priorities in planning their medical staffing.