§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy on the use of doctors from the New Commonwealth, in the light of the decision of the overseas committee of the General Medical Council that such doctors should be subject to limited registration as compared with full registration of doctors from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinI am not aware of any such decision by the General Medical Council. However, while limited registration, as its name implies, imposes certain limitations on the work a doctor may undertake, it is open to health authorities, subject to these limitations, to appoint any registered doctor they consider suitable for a particular post irrespective of his country of origin. The Medical Acts 1956 to 1978 give the General Medical Council and not Ministers entire discretion in the matter of registration.