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Clause 6—(Special Provisions As To Holders Of Diplomas Granted In Republic Of Ireland)

Volume 477: debated on Friday 14 July 1950

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I beg to move, in page 5, line 19, at the end, to insert:

"() In relation to any such person as is mentioned in subsection (1) of this section—
  • (a) subsection (1) of section three of this Act shall have effect as if the reference in that subsection to centres provided under the enactments specified therein included a reference to health centres provided under the law of the Republic of Ireland, and
  • (b) subsection (2) of the said section three shall have effect, in relation to a health centre provided under the said law, as if for the employment specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of the said subsection (2) there were substituted employment certified by the said Medical Registration Council or a body acting on behalf of that Council to correspond to the employment specified as aforesaid."
  • The Amendment should not take up time. It merely extends to the Republic of Ireland the same provisions that we have extended to health centres in England and Wales.

    Amendment agreed to.

    Further Amendment made: in page 5, line 26, leave out "in the medical register," and add "under the Medical Acts."—[ Mr. Blenkinsop.]

    Motion made, and question proposed, "That the Clause, as amended, stand part of the Bill."

    I asked on Second Reading whether the Republic of Ireland would be altering its medical curriculum in step with ours in order that the Clause might have full application. Clearly, if Ireland is not going to do so, we should have to make some alternative provisions. I think that the reply which I had on that occasion was that the Republic of Ireland was likely to do so, but there was nothing very conclusive about it. May I have an assurance that the Republic of Ireland will, in fact, be altering its medical curriculum in step with ours?

    I understand that that is indeed the position.

    I am not quite clear about the meaning of the last two lines of subsection (2). The assumption in the Clause is that the Republic of Ireland has passed similar legislation, and on that assumption, the Clause goes on to say:

    "No such person shall"—
    after such legislation has been passed—
    "become provisionally registered"—
    presumably, here—
    "unless he is registered by virtue of the said provision of the law of the Republic of Ireland."
    The intention, it occurs to me, was that a man should not become provisionally registered here unless he is provisionally registered
    "by virtue of the said provision of the law of the Republic of Ireland."
    I may have the point wrong, but it is important in the Bill clearly to distinguish between provisional registration and registration in every place. I ask the Parliamentary Secretary to explain the intention of the two lines I have quoted and to say whether the words fully express the meaning.

    I will certainly look into that point and make sure about that. Obviously, we are trying to get the arrangements in both countries to run on the same basis, and I imagine that that is the position here. I will check it up before the next stage of the Bill.

    I do not want to interfere in the discussions now taking place in the provinces, of which I have no particular knowledge, but I should like to ask the Committee to be very careful about the matter which has been raised, unless they have a full guarantee about it. When the law concerning trade unions was annulled in the House, some of us were anxious to find out whether. since Northern Ireland passed the original Act because we did, they would annul for like reason. Up to now, however, we have not got that satisfaction.

    I am still not quite clear. There is no provisional registration at present in Ireland. Therefore, if a man who is fully registered in Ireland comes to this country, as I understand the Bill, he will have to register here provisionally and then to serve his year of registration either here or in Ireland then he will be qualified to become fully registered on the complete register in this country. This is understandable, because otherwise the Irish graduate, being registered on the one register in Ireland, would be able to come over here and claim to be enrolled on the full register in Great Britain, and legally he would be entitled to do so according to the agreement between Ireland and this country.

    2.30 p.m.

    I do not want to emphasise the same point again, but, as has been made quite clear, the assumption is—and we have the undertaking that this will in fact be carried out—that there will be provision of provisional registration in Ireland as it will be provided here. Therefore, the point referred to by my hon. Friend will not in fact arise.

    Will the hon. Gentleman allow his imagination to run riot for a moment without creating an international incident. Should it happen that because of circumstances over which we have no control and for arguments which we do not appreciate, the Republic of Ireland does not do this, would it mean that graduates from Ireland who find their way to the Irish register without an intern year, would be able, as the hon. Member for Warrington (Dr. Morgan) suggested, to come over here and, by the arrangement of reciprocity, find their way on to the British register, so stealing an advantage—if it is an advantage—over corresponding British graduates? Will the hon. Gentleman answer the question of what would be the position, should the impossible happen and the Republic of Ireland not pass the necessary legislation?

    I hope no hon. Member of the Committee will invite me to make speeches about all the hypothetical possibilities which might conceivably arise and which the hon. Member for Luton (Dr. Hill) says will not arise anyhow. I agree with him that this will not arise but, should it arise, it would obviously be necessary to consider some amending Measure to deal with it. We have the very definite assurance that this is already being taken care of, but should there be such a difficulty we would have to come to the House again.

    Question put, and agreed to.

    Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

    Clause 7 ordered to stand part of the Bill.