Dr. Morganasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that, owing to the arrangements made by the Ministry of Labour, many local authorities in county boroughs, such as the town of Rochdale, in the county of Lancashire, are being deprived of the services of their health visitors and what action he proposes to take to see that certain towns and districts are not being deprived of those health visiting services at the present time.
§ Mr. WillinkI am aware of the difficulty experienced by a few local authorities in obtaining health visitors; on these I am in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service, who is prepared to insert special advertisements for health visitors in suitable cases, of which Rochdale is one.
Dr. Morganasked the Minister of Labour whether, on the representations he has received, it is his intention to revoke or mitigate the working of the Employment of Women (Control of Engagement) Order by which certain local 789W authorities are not allowed to advertise vacancies in their health visiting staff while others are allowed to do so, and, in consequence of that employment control, some county boroughs are being seriously affected by the loss of their health visitors and health staff.
§ Mr. E. BevinOwing to the general shortage of qualified candidates I cannot see my way to remove these vacancies from the scope of the Control of Engagement Order. The arrangements previously made under which local authorities were in special cases allowed to advertise were found to work unsatisfactorily and have been discontinued. Any necessary advertisements are now issued by the Department itself, and care is taken to see that the transfer of health visitors replying to an advertisement does not leave another authority in difficulties. Special attention is being given to two vacancies for health visitors at Rochdale which are regarded as urgent.