§ 60. Mr. Bottomleyasked the Minister of Health why there has been a delay in the issue of circulars announcing the agreements reached by the Whitley Council on behalf of the auxiliary nursing grades and the general salary increases for all nursing staffs, thus preventing hospital authorities from implementing these agreements.
§ The Minister of Health (Mr. Iain Macleod)The agreement on nursing auxiliaries was issued to hospital authorities on 3rd May and that on nursing salaries generally is now being printed and will be issued on 13th May. These documents give detailed effect to the broad agreement reached by the Whitley Council and some time necessarily elapsed before their terms were finally settled between the parties.
§ Mr. BottomleyDoes not the Minister agree that there has been unnecessary delay and that it has caused some discontent? Will he give the matter his attention to see that it does not happen again?
§ Mr. MacleodYes, Sir, if I could help. But of course the right hon. Gentleman, who has great experience in this field, knows that when an agreement in principle is reached on Whitley it is often a very complicated job, particularly where so many grades are involved, to translate it into a document which can be put into practice.