asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the decision was taken to stop publishing the annual census of Health Service staff statistics, excluding medical and dental staff; and why.

Summary figures from the Department's census of National Health Service non-medical manpower are placed in the Library each quarter. More detailed figures are provided annually in publications such as "Health and Personal Social Services Statistics" and "The Health Service in England Annual Report". The booklet entitled "Health Service Staff Statistics" has not been published since 1983, as it was given lower priority following the introduction of the quarterly counts.