Charles Walker calls for an increase in mileage allowance for district and community nurses.

Mr. Charles Walker (Broxbourne) (Con): I am not one for celebrating institutions, but I am one for celebrating the people who work in them, particularly nurses, who make a massive and important contribution to the NHS. My concern is that too many district and community nurses are now subsidising the NHS because their mileage allowance was fixed in 2001 and has not risen since. Will the Secretary of State take a look at that and give the nurses a real present for their 60th anniversary?

Alan Johnson: Of course I will look at that, but today's occasion should not get bogged down in mileage allowances: let us look at the bigger picture- [Interruption.] I know that there are three or four ex-nurses in their places around me now. As I said, I will look at the issue, but let us move on from mileage allowances to the big debate in 1948 about whether we should establish a national health service.

| Hansard"