§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what are the criteria he applies to applications for district health authorities for (a) the disposal and (b) the retention of residential accommodation for their employees;
(2) if he will publish in the Official Report that part of his circular on accommodation for health service staff which defines the types of accommodation which should be sold or retained by health authorities.
§ Mr. HayhoeI have sent the hon. Member a copy of the policy circular he refers to and have placed one in the Library. Under its provisions, health authorities have discretion to decide on the level of accommodation to provide for those training to become doctors, nurses or members of the profession allied to medicine. The circular makes it clear that in general authorities should not provide accommodation for other staff but that exceptional cases should be considered.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consultation he had and what response he 527W received from the Royal College of Nursing concerning his proposal for health authorities to cease to provide accommodation for second and third year student nurses and other personnel.
§ Mr. HayhoeThe Rayner scrutiny on residential accommodation recommended that in future accommodation for nurses in training should be limited to first year students. As a result of comments on the scrutiny, including those of the Royal College of Nursing, it was decided that authorities should continue to have discretion to provide accommodation for any professional trainees.
§ Mr. Nigel Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the names of the district health authorities which have given notice to any of their employees to quit accommodation owned by them, consequent on his circular on surplus accommodation, together with the number of units of accommodation in each case.
§ Mr. HayhoeSo far only plans for the health authorities listed in the table have beeen approved. The number of units of accommodation currently provided, and the number to be provided from 1 January 1988, are shown. It is not known whether any of these authorities has yet given any members of staff notice to quit; I will let the hon. Member have a further reply when I have this information. Under present policy, anyone no longer to be provided with accommodation must be given at least a year to make alternative arrangements.
Current units Units from 1 January 1988 Chester 435 272 Crewe 425 261 Halton 122 74 Macclesfield 306 233 Warrington 330 217 Southport 308 208 South Sefton 531 268 Liverpool 1,082 753 Wirral 461 438