C
17.
For applicants other than doctors, there are at present 3,200 vouchers
available. In 1970, 2,116 vouchers were issued to non-medical applicants
and there is no waiting lists. If applications continue to be received
at the present rate, even if doctors are dealt with outside the scheme, the
available 1,000 vouchers will not satisfy the demand. Consideration has
been given to the possibility of making the criteria stricter for this
category also but the standards are already so high that this would be
difficult. To effect a reduction in the number of successful applications
probably be necessary to restrict the range of professions
it would
covered. This would invlove subjective evaluation of the worth of one
profession as compared with another eg the value of a computer systems analyst
It is considered preferable
as compared with a nurse or physiotherapist.
to accept the formation of a waiting list; especially as Category B
applicants are not required to have an offer of employment and there is
not the same objection to delay in the issue of a voucher as in Category A.
Any qualified applicant who has an offer of employment can, of course, be
dealt with by transfer to Category A if this is advantageous. Moreover
the interim schome will operate for a limited period only, which should
prevent the queue growing too long although it is true that the existence
of waiting lists would create problems in connection with the permanent
scheme. These however are dealt with in another paper.
MALTA
18. The Criteria introduced in 1968 for Category A applicants from the
other independent Commonwealth countries have never been applied to Malta;
nor has the issue of vouchers depended on the non-availability of suitable
resident labour. However, Malta has not used her full allocation of vouchers
for the past two or three years. Although she took 846 in 1970 and 800 in
1969, only 476 were used in 1970 and 479 in 1969.
Throughout those two
years there has been no delay in the issue of vouchers against applications
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