Nurses and Midwives: Numbers

Debate between Lord Pearson of Rannoch and Lord O'Shaughnessy

Monday 4th December 2017 Lords Chamber

[Lord O'Shaughnessy]

In the long run, we want to be in a position to provide more of our staff domestically. There are concerns about the fact that we recruit from other countries, not least developing countries—I do not think that that is a long-term, sustainable position. In addition to the additional nurse training places that I mentioned, more medical training places for doctors are coming through, so we will be achieving that position in future.

[Lord Pearson of Rannoch (UKIP)]

My Lords, do the Government accept that the £10 billion per annum in net cash that we shall no longer pay to Brussels after Brexit is equivalent to the annual salaries of some 1,000 nurses every day?

[Lord O'Shaughnessy]

The noble Lord’s mental maths are far better than mine. I agree that it will provide for the possibility of yet more funding for the NHS, which is something that this Government have delivered in the past seven years.

Brexit: Mental Health Research Funding

Debate between Lord Pearson of Rannoch and Lord O'Shaughnessy

Thursday 23rd November 2017 Lords Chamber

[Lord O'Shaughnessy]

As I set out in my Answer to the noble Lord, Lord Brooke, the intention is to continue our relationship with and involvement in cross-EU health projects. Other third-party countries do that, and there is no reason why that would not be the case. In terms of the workforce, which I think is what the noble Baroness was referring to, the Prime Minister has been very clear that we want to continue to attract the brightest and best to this country. Once we have left the European Union, our immigration system will be set up to do just that.

[Lord Pearson of Rannoch (UKIP)]

My Lords, is not this yet another area where there is really no such thing as EU funding? Do the Government agree that the contribution to which this Question refers comes out of the £10 billion per annum which we pay to Brussels and which it sends back? That is not to mention the additional £10 billion per annum which we pay to Brussels in net cash. So surely the Government can agree without qualification to fully fund this very important service and, if necessary, increase it after Brexit.

[Lord O'Shaughnessy]

The noble Lord is right that the European Union does not in itself have a tax base and that we are a net contributor to European Union budgets. As I said, our intention is to continue to have a productive relationship with the European Union as a third party, contributing to research budgets and benefiting from them, as we do, in terms of both funding and the people who work together on these important areas.