HC Deb 04 December 1979 vol 975 cc165-6W
Mr. Moyle

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the numbers of fully qualified medical practitioners who have emigrated to the countries of the Common Market since 1 June 1977.

Sir George Young

Information about doctors who have permanently emigrated is not directly available as it is not known how many leaving the country do so with the intention of returning subsequently. However, the following table, which is based on information made available by the European Commission, shows for 1977 and 1978 the numbers of doctors, who were United Kingdom nationals authorised to practise in an EEC country other than the one in which they first qualified.(1)

Number of United Kingdom Nationals
1977 1978
Germany 31 53
France 3 9
Italy —(2) 0
Netherlands 42 26
Belgium 0 2
Luxembourg 0 0
Ireland 38(3) 39(3)
Denmark 3 3
Total 117 134

(1) The table excludes United Kingdom nationals who qualified in another EEC country and are working in the United Kingdom.

(2) The EEC Medical Directives were not implemented in Italy until May 1978.

(3) Some of these may not be of British nationality. They were registered under an agreement made between the United Kingdom and Ireland; registration is on the basis of previous registration in the United Kingdom and not of nationality.