§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Abingdon (Mr. Benyon), Official Report, 22 December, c. 380, what are the qualifications which he regards as sufficient to describe a nurse as qualified; and if he will give a figure for the level of growth in nursing numbers which is due to the reduction in nurses' working weeks.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergIn England and Wales qualified nurses and midwives are those persons whose names are included in either the register kept by the General Nursing Council for England and Wales or the roll kept by the Central Midwives Board for England and Wales.
At present the qualifications are contained in the following statutory instruments:
Registered Nurses —The Nurses Rules, Approval Instrument 1969 SI. 1969 No. 1675Enrolled Nurses — The Enrolled Nurses Rules, Approval Instrument 1969, SI. 1969 No. 1674Both these statutory instruments have been amended by the Nurses and Enrolled Nurses (Amendment) Rules Approval Instruments 1973 (No. 1077), 1976 (No. 1188) 1979 (No. 49), 1980 (No. 1833) and 1981 (No. 1532) The Nurses (Amendment) Rules Approval Instrument 1970 (No. 1027) and 1980 (No. 1974) applied to registered nurses. The Enrolled nurses (Amendment) Rules Approval Instrument 1979 (No. 1026) applied to enrolled nurses.Midwives — the Midwives Rules Approval Instrument 1980, SI 1980 No. 1468.Similar considerations apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The information necessary to calculate the level of growth in nursing numbers which is due to the reduction in the working week is not available.