HC Deb 11 May 1989 vol 152 cc505-6W
Mr. Hume

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what account his Department takes of the parity clause in relation to the statement of fees and allowances in the Social Services Agreement Act 1949 and the Finance Act 1971; and what arrangements are accordingly made to budget for general practitioner trainers' remuneration and general practitioner trainees' allowances.

Mr. Needham

[holding answer 4 May 1989]: The amounts payable to general practitioner trainers and trainees under the statement of fees and allowances are the same in Northern Ireland as in the rest of the United Kingdom. Financial provision for general practitioner trainers' remuneration and general practitioner trainees' allowance is made under the family practitioner services section of the Department's Health and Personal Social Services vote 1.

Mr. Hume

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what consideration has been given to amending current arrangements in Northern Ireland to allow designated general practitioner trainers to recruit suitably qualified general practitioner trainees on the same terms as in Great Britain; and what would be the revenue and manpower consequences of such a change;

(2) whether there is any constraint which prohibits the Department of Health and Social Security in Northern Ireland from allowing general practitioner trainers to recruit trainees on the same basis as in Britain.

Mr. Needham

[holding answer 5 May 1989]: It is not proposed to introduce arrangements in Northern Ireland to allow designated general practitioner trainers to recruit their own trainees on the same basis as in Great Britain. The present arrangements are designed to limit the annual number of trainees to our manpower requirements and to select trainees in accordance with the provisions of the Fair Employment (NI) Act 1976 and the guide to effective practice issued by the Department of Economic Development. Copies of each of these documents have been placed in the Library.

However, I can inform the hon. Member that the Department has established a working group of all interested parties to review the arrangements for vocational training for general practice in Northern Ireland.