§ Mr. Allen McKayasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek to clarify the law so that any registered medical practitioners practising in the United Kingdom shall have a duty to show evidence of competence in the English language in any proceedings involving their practice.
§ Sir George Young[pursuant to his reply, 7 November 1980, c. 689–91]: At present, doctors qualifying in a country other than a Member State of the European Community have to satisfy a requirement as to their knowledge of English in order to be registered to practice in the United Kingdom. Doctors who are nationals of a member State and who qualified in a member State other than the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland are required to satisfy the same 434W requirement on or within six months of registration.
The Government are proposing to vary arrangements in respect of the latter group however and it will then be for the employing or contracting authorities to satisfy themselves that doctors wishing to take up appointments under the NHS, including general practice have the necessary knowledge of English required for the post. Legislation will be needed to effect the change but beyond this no additional clarification of the law is contemplated.
In civil or criminal proceedings where a doctor's competence in English is an issue, I am satisfied that insufficient command of the language can be exposed under the law as it stands.