To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the implications for the funding of the NHS of the decision by Gwent area health authority not to employ 10 midwives who completed their training this week at the Royal Gwent hospital.
I understand that offers of employment will be made by the authority to those of the group who have qualified and wish to remain in Gwent.Expenditure on education and training is of course a long-term investment and there is invariably a certain amount of mobility among newly qualified staff. Staffing levels are set in the light of local working practices and changing needs and priorities and employing authorities have never been able to give guarantees that posts will be offered to all nurses and midwives on completion of their training.It is a measure of the success of the new grading structure for clinical nurses and midwives and the attractiveness of the salaries paid to qualified staff that
| District Health Authority | 1987–88 | 1988–89 | 1989–90 | 1990–91 |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| At outturn prices | ||||
| Clwyd | 1,150,026 | 1,326,628 | 1,296,447 | 1,407,373 |
| East Dyfed | 583,854 | 834,948 | 1,001,426 | 1,154,741 |
| Gwent | 3,403,610 | 3,879,016 | 3,645,650 | 3,840,020 |
| Gwynedd | 2,686,428 | 3,166,632 | 3,398,161 | 3,492,023 |
| Mid Glamorgan | 5,815,668 | 6,436,055 | 6,494,660 | 6,897,613 |
| Pembrokeshire | 428,257 | 435,605 | 459,992 | 551,486 |
| Powys | 2,496,041 | 2,799,763 | 3,026,368 | 3,394,234 |
| South Glamorgan | 3,766,849 | 4,610,337 | 5,207,693 | 5,456,161 |
| West Glamorgan | 857,899 | 1,211,904 | 1,061,263 | 1,075,431 |
| Total | 21,188,632 | 24,700,888 | 25,591,590 | 27,269,082 |
| At 1990–91 prices | ||||
| Clwyd | 1,423,916 | 1,532,522 | 1,406,445 | 1,407,373 |
| East Dyfed | 722,905 | 964,533 | 1,086,393 | 1,154,741 |
| Gwent | 4,214,214 | 4,481,044 | 3,954,968 | 3,840,020 |
| Gwynedd | 3,326,228 | 3,658,098 | 3,686,481 | 3,492,023 |
| Mid Glamorgan | 7,200,728 | 7,434,939 | 7,045,704 | 6,897,613 |
| Pembrokeshire | 530,251 | 503,212 | 498,944 | 551,486 |
| Powys | 3,090,498 | 3,234,290 | 3,283,143 | 3,394,234 |
| South Glamorgan | 4,663,962 | 5,325,867 | 5,649,544 | 5,456,161 |
| West Glamorgan | 1,062,216 | 1,399,993 | 1,151,307 | 1,075,431 |
| Total | 26,234,918 | 28,534,498 | 27,762,929 | 27,269,082 |
there has been a general improvement in retention rates throughout Wales, particularly in the more senior grades. In Gwent, the turn-over rate for midwives has reduced very significantly over the past two years and projected vacancies have not materialised. The NHS in Wales has made considerable progress in the area of manpower planning and the Department is working closely with the service—through the manpower resource group—to monitor and strengthen the planning process to ensure that the training and supply of professional staff correlates closely to predicted staffing requirements.