§ Mr. BaronTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of healthcare workers from overseas who have been granted work permits were employed by(a) the NHS and (b) the private 1385W health sector for their first job on entering the United Kingdom in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [170665]
§ Mr. Browne[holding answer 4 May 2004]: I have been asked to reply.
The structure of the Work Permits (UK) database and record storage facilities does not allow for a breakdown of the number of work permits awarded to healthcare workers by employer type, i.e. in NHS or private healthcare sector. This information therefore can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.