§ Sir David SteelTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received opposing his plans for the provision of nursing and midwifery education in Scotland; if he will make it his policy that nursing training in the borders will not be centralised to the Lothian region; and what savings are expected to be made from the proposed arrangements.
Average gross weekly earnings (£)1 April 1993 All full-time employees Male full-time employees All Female full-time employees Manual Non-Manual All Manual Non-Manual 272.1 304.2 245.8 373.5 217.5 162.0 23.66 1For full-time employees on adult rates, whose pay was unaffected by absence.
§ Mr. WallaceTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for the combined regions and islands areas of(a) Highland, (b)Borders, (c) Dumfries and Galloway, (d) Orkney, (e) Shetland and (f) Western Isles, the distribution of earnings for those earning under
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§ Mr. LangMy announcement on 16 May 1994 that the management executive of the NHS in Scotland would be tendering with tertiary education for the provision of pre-registration nursing and midwifery education and training has been generally welcomed. Representations received have related to concerns about the future locality of this training and the implications for staff in the existing colleges of nursing and midwifery. The future locality of the training currently delivered at the Scottish Borders college of nursing and midwifery and, indeed, the numbers of its staff to transfer to the education sector, cannot be predicted since this must await the outcome of the tendering process which is now due to be completed in July 1995. Even where future training is to be delivered in centres different from the current provision, the management executive will ensure that a good geographical spread of clinical placements—that is the practical element of the courses—still exists for each branch of training of nursing. Since the contracts will not be awarded solely on cost grounds, the contracting process is unlikely to result in substantial savings, but I believe that costs can be contained within the existing provision.