§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the(a) current situation and (b) forecast position in 12 months, with regard to midwife recruitment. [66183]
Mr. Jon Owen JonesStaff recruitment remains a service issue. However, no major recruitment difficulties were identified in 1998 workforce planning round for midwives. The predicted demand from NHS Trusts in Wales for newly qualified midwives in 1999–2000 is 70. Training numbers across Wales will meet this demand. Information for 2000–01 will be available, following the outcome of the workforce planning exercise, in May 1999.