§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many student nurses and midwives who left their courses in each year since 2000 as a result of pregnancy did not return after maternity absence. [133013]
§ Mr. HuttonThe information requested is not available centrally.
§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what would be the annual cost nationally of(a) continuing the bursary for student midwives who have babies during their studies, (b) paying statutory maternity pay to these students and (c) paying maternity allowance to them. [133014]
§ Mr. HuttonThe Department does not collect information on the number of student midwives who suspend their training as a result of pregnancy. It is not, therefore, possible to assess the cost of continuing to pay bursaries to such students. Similarly, and although students in general are not eligible for either statutory 527W maternity pay or maternity allowance (these being dependent on a woman satisfying qualifying conditions based on employment and earnings), it is not possible to estimate the notional cost of paying either of these to any group of national health service-funded students.
§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many student midwives and nurses enrolled on diploma and degree courses between 2000 and 2003; how many student midwives and nurses took maternity leave within that period; and how many diploma students, who took maternity absence, were required to repay part of their bursary. [133015]
§ Mr. HuttonDuring the period 2000–01 to 2002–03 the national health service commissioned a total of 67,020 nursing and midwifery training places, including post-registration places for those qualified nurses training in midwifery as a second professional registration.
The Department does not collect information on the number of student nurses and midwives who withdraw from or suspend their training as a result of pregnancy.
§ Mrs. DeanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the number of midwives needed per 100,000 of the population to provide proper safety for mothers and their babies; [133088]
(2) how many midwives per 100,000 of the population there are in (a) the East Staffordshire Primary Care Trust area and (b) England. [133089]
§ Mr. HuttonThe Government has not made any assessment of the number of midwives needed per 100,000 population. The Government expects there to be 2,000 more midwives being employed in the National Health Service in 2006 than there were in 2000. Since 2000, there has already been an increase of 680 midwives in the NHS. As at September 2002, there were 23,249 midwives.
Information on staff in post figures for primary care trust areas is not available. Information on the number of midwives per 100,000 population in England and Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority is shown in the table.
Midwives employed in the NHS per 100,000 population as at September 2002 Headcount Whole-time equivalents England 47 37 Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA 44 34 The Department funded the Royal College of Midwives to produce Birthrate Plus, a tool for assessing workforce requirements in maternity units. It is for individual units and trusts to decide whether to use it.
§ Mrs. DeanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many places are available for midwifery training; and if he will make a statement. [133090]
§ Mr. HuttonIn 2002–03, there were 1.433 pre-registration training places for midwifery; a further 677 nurses entered training for a second qualification as a midwife. The Government is committed to increasing the number of training places for midwifery; the NHS Plan pledged that, by 2004, there would be 5,500 more students entering training for a first qualification to528W become a nurse or midwife than in 1999. Since 1999–2000, there has been an overall increase of 4,249 towards the target, including 418, or 41 per cent., more midwifery training places.