§ Mr. Pardoeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many administrative and clerical staff having no nursing or medical qualifications were employed within the National Health Service before re-organisation and on the latest convenient date following re-organisation.
§ Dr. OwenI regret that no information is collated centrally as to the individual qualifications of generalist administrative and clerical staff. The number (whole-time equivalents) of such staff employed in the NHS in England at 30th September 1973 was 69,417. At 30th September 1974 the number was 85.172; but this604W of protection, the income of raspberry growers can most effectively be safeguarded by adjusting the level of production to the requirements of the market. There was a reduction of some 600 acres in the planted acreage in 1975 and a further fall which seems likely this year should help to improve the prospects for this sector of the industry.
figure includes staff of the former local health authorities and ambulance officers (together totalling some 10,670 at 30th September 1974) who were not within the NHS until 1st April 1974. The 1975 figures are currently being collected and processed.