§ Dame Joan Vickersasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps are being taken to maintain and expand the health visiting service and prevent the loss of staff to the social service departments, owing to the fact that qualified health visitors are paid less than unqualified social workers and that future health visitor training arrangements are uncertain.
§ Sir K. JosephAs I indicated in my reply to my right hon. Friend the Member for Chislehurst (Dame Patricia Hornsby-Smith) on 20th April, the increase in the number of health visitors in post in England in 1971 compared with 1970 was a record, representing an increase of over 5 per cent. For my part, I have approved increases in the establishment of professional and other staffs of the Council for the Education and Training of Health Visitors to enable them to provide additional training facilities. Salaries of health visitors are a matter for the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council.—[Vol. 835, c.157.]