asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will institute a departmental inquiry into the total resources spent by health authorities in advertising vacancies for employment of nurses and its cost-effectiveness.

Recruitment and advertising are primarily a matter for health authorities as employers of staff. We require authorities to decide on the most cost effective way of advertising vacancies for nursing staff. East Anglia are however, the sponsoring Region for a Rayner study in arrangements for advertising for staff which will begin in March and is expected to last about three months. The study should produce information which will be useful to the rest of the NHS.