§ Mr. Andersonasked the Secretary of State for Wales on what basis he now justifies the restriction of applications for posts of area speech therapists in Wales to officers transferred to the employment of the Health Service in Wales or the Welsh Office at the date of the reorganisation of the Health Service since this is now some time in the past; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Alec JonesPresent arrangements were set out, with my right hon. and learned Friend's approval, by the National Health Service Staff Commission for Wales in June 1975. These call first for competition among transferred officers within Wales, but allow an area health authority to widen the field of recruitment if such a competition does not lead to an appointment. No authority in Wales has asked the Welsh Office to alter these arrangements in so far as they apply to speech therapists.