§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the position regarding the clinical staffing problem in medical schools; to what extent fewer doctors are qualifying; and whether there is evidence of less advance of medical research in a variety of specialties.
§ Dr. VaughanNeither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science nor I is aware of any general difficulty in maintaining satisfactory levels of clinical staffing to teach medical students; in the 1980–81 academic year 63 more medical students first received a registrable qualification in Great Britain than in the previous academic year; I am not aware of any evidence of a recent lack of advance in medical research.