Mr. F. HALLasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that, though Acts to provide for the registration of nurses received the Royal Assent on 23rd December, 1919, the English Act has, so far not been carried into effect, and 1898W that efforts are being made departmentally to coerce the General Nursing Council of England and Wales to agree to provisions incorporated in the Rules framed under the Scottish Act, of which that council does not approve; whether such provisions, if adopted, would have the effect of reducing its authority in certain important directions to that of a recording body under the Scottish Board of Health, without power of discrimination; and whether he will inquire into this matter with a view to satisfactory Regulations being brought into force without further delay?
§ Sir A. MONDThe hon. Member is under a misapprehension. The General Nursing Council submitted a rule purporting to give them a discretion to refuse to admit to their register nurses already on the Scottish and Irish registers. I am advised on the highest authority that this isultra vires, and I am bound to ask the Council to amend the rule in question, so as to bring it into conformity with the Act. Subject to the submission of an amended rule to give effect to the reciprocity provisions of Section 6 (3) of the Act, I am prepared to sanction at once the rules for the admission of existing nurses. I cannot accept the suggestion contained in the latter part of the question, but in any case I have no power to sanction a rule in the form desired by the Council.