asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the change in the number of nursing and midwifery staff in the National Health Service in Scotland since May 1979.

Health Service staff numbers are collected at 31 March and 30 September each year. Expressed as whole-time equivalents, in March 1979, 55,246 nursing and midwifery staff were employed, and by September 1981 this had risen to a provisional figure of 61,100. This figure includes increases consequent upon the reduction of the working week in 1980–81.