Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am 10:29 pm ar 10 Tachwedd 1981.
Mr John Patten
, Oxford
10:29,
10 Tachwedd 1981
I am glad that the hon. Member for Belfast, South (Mr. Bradford) has raised this important topic. I thank him for his kind words about the staff in old people's homes throughout the Province. They work hard on behalf of us all. I was rather sad when the original motion for tonight's Adjournment Debate, which concerned staffing levels at the Purdysburn hospital, Belfast, was withdrawn. It would have given the hon. Gentleman the opportunity to praise the DHSS in Northern Ireland for the vigorous way in which it has approached staffing problems within that hospital. Staffing levels have been increased in recent months to 720, which has brought overall staffing to 63 nurses per 100 beds. That is considerably better than the ratio which obtains in Scotland, which has long been recognised to be the leader.
An adjournment debate is a short half hour debate that is introduced by a backbencher at the end of each day's business in the House of Commons.
Adjournment debates are also held in the side chamber of Westminster Hall.
This technical procedure of debating a motion that the House should adjourn gives backbench members the opportunity to discuss issues of concern to them, and to have a minister respond to the points they raise.
The speaker holds a weekly ballot in order to decide which backbench members will get to choose the subject for each daily debate.
Backbenchers normally use this as an opportunity to debate issues related to their constituency.
An all-day adjournment debate is normally held on the final day before each parliamentary recess begins. On these occasions MPs do not have to give advance notice of the subjects which they intend to raise.
The leader of the House replies at the end of the debate to all of the issues raised.
