43. Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Minister of Health if he will make a statement on new proposals for the pay of nurses and midwives.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithYes, Sir. Revised salaries for all the main grades in general, mental and maternity hospitals were agreed by the Whitley Council last week and should greatly improve the attraction of nursing and midwifery as a career. The agreement provides increases ranging from £12 to £29 in the case of student nurses, £54 to £87 in the case of staff nurses and midwives and £105 to £163 in the case of ward sisters and midwifery sisters. Matrons of non-training hospitals will receive increases ranging from £101 to £195 and matrons of nurse training schools increases ranging from £129 to £237. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have approved the proposals with effect from 1st March, 1959. The Whitley Council are now considering the grades not covered by this agreement.
Mr. Gresham CookeWhile thanking my right hon. and learned Friend for his statement, may I ask whether he is aware that his approval of this decision will cause a good deal of satisfaction among those concerned with the welfare of nurses and midwives?
§ Mr. Walker-SmithI am much obliged to my hon. Friend. That may well be the case.
§ Mr. HamiltonWill the right hon. and learned Gentleman say why it is that whenever nurses have increases in pay, which are very welcome on all sides of the House, they almost automatically have to pay an increase in lodging expenses, which causes great irritation to them? I speak as the husband of one of them. May I ask the right hon. and learned Gentleman whether this increase will do anything to allay the anxiety of the Royal College of Nursing, which pointed out some time ago that nurses were emigrating to Australia, America and Canada in increasing numbers because of the great disparity in their pay?
§ Mr. Walker-SmithI should regret anything which would inconvenience or dislocate the hon. Member's domestic economy, but the short answer is that these charges are, generally speaking, below the economic charge and therefore it is only reasonable that as the pay goes up so should the charges in respect of board and lodging. I would remind the House that these have been agreed by the Whitley Council.
§ Dr. SummerskillThis has happened so often. We all welcome these increases in charges to these people. [Laughter.] I am sure Mr. Speaker will forgive me for what is a Freudian lapse. I should, of course, have said "pay." Will the Minister keep in mind that every time these excellent nurses and midwives are given an increase it is vitiated by this increase in the charge for accommodation? Surely, what the right hon. and learned Gentleman says does not entirely satisfy us, because this increase was called for without any reduction in consequence of an increased charge for accommodation.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithIt is far from true that these increases are vitiated. On the contrary, they represent a very substantial advantage right across the board.
§ Dame Irene WardWhilst also thanking my right hon. and learned Friend for this announcement, which will give very great pleasure, may I ask whether he will be good enough to have a word with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and ask him whether there can be a pensions increase Act for retired nurses and midwives, who have served this country so faithfully and well and whose services require to be recognised because their cost of living has gone up and they have had nothing in respect of it?
§ Mr. Walker-SmithI am sure that my right hon. Friend, in common with all my right hon. Friends, takes a very careful note of everything that my hon. Friend says.