§ Mr. Patrick Jenkinasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will give, for the latest date for which figures are available, the number of established posts in the National Health Service which were unfilled, broken down into medical, nursing, and ancillary categories, showing, for each category the total number of established posts, the total number of unfilled posts and the percentage which the latter is of the former.
§ Mr. MeacherThe information is not available centrally in the form requested, as health authorities do not operate a general national system of established posts. Individual authorities take detailed decisions about staffing levels in all categories in the light of available resources and their priorities.