§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance has been issued by his Department to hospital trusts to ensure standards of spoken English for newly recruited nurses and doctors. [75528]
§ Mr. HuttonHealth Service Circular 1999/137Employment of European Economic Area (EEA) Nationals: Ensuring Language Competency was issued on 14 June 1999. This circular clarifies the respective roles of registration authorities and employers and includes good practice guidelines to help employers ensure that they appoint staff who are able to speak and write English to an appropriate standard. Arrangements for testing the language and professional skills of non-EEA nationals are a matter for the appropriate professional regulatory body.
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