§ 48. Mrs. Castleasked the Minister of Health what reply he has sent to the protest by the Confederation of Health Service Employees against his refusal to back-date the increase in pay for pre-student nurses to coincide with the recent increase in pay for other student nurses.
§ Mr. PowellI am sending the hon. Lady a copy.
§ Mrs. CastleAm I to deduce from that reply that the Minister has turned down the Confederation's request that he should review his refusal to post-date these increases? If I am correct in believing that he is persisting in his refusal, might I now ask him if he will seriously consider, at any rate for the future, the importance of relating increases for nursing students with those of the pre-nursing students, so that these continuous pinpricks of irritation to this important area of recruitment into nursing may cease?
§ Mr. PowellI am not sure whether the hon. Lady meant post-date or antedate, but this matter is not prejudged for the future. In this instance, the interval of time was, as I reminded her a week ago, much shorter than in the last preceding case.