§ Mr. Edwin Wainwrightasked the Minister of Health if he will give the number of vacancies existing for family doctors in the South Yorkshire area; and if he will make a statement on the action he is taking to remedy the situation.
§ Mr.K. RobinsonThere is no fixed complement of general practitioners in this or any other area. I regret that the first part of the Question cannot, therefore, be answered in the terms requested. Initial practice allowances are available to doc260W tors starting to practise in the areas of greatest shortage, several of which are in South Yorkshire. I hope that these allowances, and others available for general practitioners in such areas, will increasingly attract more doctors to practise there.