§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will issue a directive to all area health authorities not to reduce the number of nurses to be trained in order to meet the additional costs which will arise from the implementation of the European Economic Communnity directive;
(2) if he will now refuse to implement European Economic Community nurse directives until such time as the Briggs legislation is in operation;
(3) what will be the total extra cost in England and Wales if the European Economic Community directive which becomes operative in July on student nurse training is implemented.
§ Mr. MoyleThe EEC directives, which relate to students in general nursing only and to courses of training starting after June 1979, were promulgated in June 1977. The General Nursing Council for England and Wales, which will be the "competent authority" for this purpose, gave guidance to nurse training schools in December 1977, and has discussed with individual training schools any difficulties they may have. I would not expect the direct and unavoidable consequences of618W the introduction of the directives to be appreciable in resource terms, although I am aware that the opportunity is being taken to go beyond the minimum and to introduce other desirable changes in nurse training at the same time where resources permit. Staffing requirements are for health authorities to determine, but I would not expect any reduction in the number of nurses in training as a result of the EEC directives, and I would see no necessity to issue a directive on the subject. As I have already made clear during the Committee stage of the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Bill, I propose to implement the EEC directives by means of an Order in Council under the European Communities Act, quite independently of the former legislation.
§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the extra £1,015,000 needed to implement the European Economic Community directives on student nurse training in July 1979 will be funded separately or will be absorbed by the allocation to the North-West Thames regional hospital board for 1979–80.
§ Mr. MoyleI am aware that the North-West Thames regional health authority takes the view that the EEC nursing directives will add more than £1 million to their costs. But this figure was arrived at from estimates recently provided by the Regional Nursing Officers' Group, and will have included not only the direct and unavoidable costs of implementing those directives, but also certain costs in excess of the minimum relating to other desirable changes in nurse training.
The length of training for a general nurse remains at three years and, as the directives relate only to training starting after June 1979, there can be no question of all the costs directly or indirectly attributable to the implementation of those directives having to be absorbed within the financial year 1979–80.