asked the Minister for Health if he will arrange to set up a central agency to which young people wishing to enter the nursing profession can apply and thus obviate their having to apply to a number of hospitals.

I informed the House on 11th May, 1976 that I had asked the working party on General Nursing to consider the question of a national or regional processing scheme for nurse training applications. Since then I understand the working party have established a project team to examine the feasibility of such an arrangement and I look forward to getting the working party's views and recommendations on this issue as early as possible.

I shall table another question in this regard in about two months' time.

8.