§ Mrs. Dunwoodyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has considered the report of the Royal College of Nursing association of nursing education advisory group "To teach or not to teach" which indicated that some statutory bodies responsible for nurse training were understaffed by 43 per cent.; and whether he proposes to take steps to improve staffing levels.
§ Dr. VaughanI have studied the report and am arranging to discuss the question generally with representatives of the Royal College of Nursing. Shortages referred to in the report are based on comparisons between numbers of staff in post and the most recent ideal target ratio for teaching staff to learners of 1:15, set by the366W General Nursing Council. There has been a steady increase in numbers of teaching staff over several years. The latest GNC figures show that the teacher:learner ratio in January 1981 was 1:19—with a range in English regions from 1:17 to 1:22. This compares with a January 1979 ratio of 1:22—with a range from 1:17 to 1:29.