§ 80. Mr. Harrisonasked the Minister of Health if he will consider taking the necessary steps to reduce the recruitment age for female nurses from 18 years to 16 years, and thus encourage girls leaving school at 16 years of age to take up directly nursing as a career, and also en- 256W abling candidates to pass through the more elementary stages of the training at an earlier age.
§ Mr. BevanThe view has been taken that girls of 16 are too young for the physical and mental strain of nursing the sick and injured. They can, however, prepare themselves for a nursing career by taking an approved pre-nursing course, which enables them to sit Part I of the Preliminary State Examination before entry into hospital.
§ 81. Mr. Harrisonasked the Minister of Health if, in view of the difficulty of recruiting nurses in all branches of the profession, he will consider establishing facilities for the promotion and training of suitable members of the domestic staffs and thereby widening the promotional opportunities for such staffs.
§ Mr. BevanYes, Sir. I have already asked hospital authorities to give every facility to suitable domestic workers who wish to train as nurses.