§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a list showing how nurses and midwives were regraded in each district health authority in the Merseyside region and the guidelines used in this regrading exercise; and if he will specify (a) the amount of finance allocated to Southport and Formby health authority and the national average sum allocated to health authorities and (b) the grades awarded to Southport and Formby health authority and those awarded nationally.
§ Mr. MellorI refer the hon. Member to my replies to my hon. Friend the Member for Staffordshire, Moorlands (Mr. Knox) on 28 November 1988 and to the hon. Member for Warrington, North (Mr. Hoyle) on 2 December 1988.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of nurses employed within each regional health authority.
§ Mr. MellorThe overall numbers of nursing and midwifery staff (including agency staff) in each regional health authority at 30 September 1987 are given in the table. 81W
Nursing and midwifery staff (including agency staff1) England 30 September 1987 Regional health authority Wholetime equivalent2 England 404,040 Northern 27,540 Yorkshire 30,390 Trent 37,970 East Anglian 15,980 North West Thames 27,790 North East Thames 34,320 South East Thames 30,780 South West Thames 23,930 Wessex 23,160 Oxford 17,180 South Western 27,430 West Midlands 43,180 Mersey 22,020 North Western 37,250 London Post Graduate Special Health Authorities 5,140 Source: Department of Health Annual Census of NHS Non-Medical Manpower.
1Includes all qualified registered and enrolled nurses, midwives, learners and unqualified nursing staff.
2Figures are independently rounded to nearest ten (10) wholetime equivalents.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what instructions have been issued by him to members of employing authorities who formally hear the appeals from nurses arising from the regrading exercise.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeNone, except that appeals should not be heard from staff who are not working normally so long as they continue their industrial action.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will specify for each region how many nurses have registered a formal appeal within the regional health authority since June:
(2) if he will specify for each of the last three years how many nurses lodged formal appeals within each region.
§ Mr. MellorWe do not hold this information centrally.
§ Mr. Bernie GrantTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department is monitoring the regrading exercise for nurses, on the basis of racial or ethnic origins; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MellorNo.
§ Mr. Bernie GrantTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints of racism on the reallocation of the grades for nurses his Department has received; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MellorNone.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to meet staff side representatives to discuss the negotiations over nurses and midwives and to accept their requests for binding arbitration.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI am meeting representatives of the Royal College of Nursing today and representatives of the Royal College of Midwives on 7 December. I am not prepared to meet representatives of those trades unions whose members are taking part in industrial action over the current regrading exercise while that industrial action continues.
82WI should also make it clear that negotiations over the terms and conditions of nurses' and midwives' employment are a matter for the relevant Whitley council. I cannot take over the role of the Whitley council management side and direct meetings between me and trade union leaders should not be seen as a substitute for Whitley council discussions. In any event, I see no scope for arbitration over the details of a regrading exercise which has now been satisfactorily completed after years of negotiation with trades unions which wanted a new grading structure.