HC Deb 23 February 1994 vol 238 cc250-1W
Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions in the parliamentary year 1992–93 her Department has used(a) statements, (b) a press release alone, (c) a press conference or (d) an answer to a written question as the primary means for a policy decision to be made public.

Mr. Sackville

Major policy decisions are announced to Parliament in the first instance with press conferences or press releases or both used to explain the development and implementation of these policies. Apart from three formal statements to Parliament in 1992–93, it is not possible to determine accurately from our records the other information being sought.

Registered and unregistered nurses and nurses in training in England 1988–92 as at 30 September for each year
Whole-time equivalents1
1988 1989 1990 1991 1992
Registered 241,920 244,220 242,340 243,250 246,570
Unregistered 92,980 91,730 93,560 90,550 90,850
Nurses in training 62,950 62,100 58,800 47,340 34,740
Project 2000 nurses in training2 0 0 3,000 10,500 18,300
Practice nurses3 3,480 4,630 7,740 8,780 9,120
Others4 0 0 0 11,050 6,630

Source: NHS non-medical work force census.

1 Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 whole-time equivalents.

2 The figures for Project 2000 nursing students are approximate.

3 Practice nurses are employed by general practices and do not therefore appear in hospital and community health services statistics.

4 Due to a change in classification of nursing and midwifery staff in 1991 another category of "Others" was created. This category was for those staff whose pay scale did not allow them to be classified as either qualified, unqualified or as a learner.