§ 2. Mr. Shepherdasked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking to improve the quality and remuneration of hospital administrators.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonThe National Staff Committee for the Hospital Service is considering a number of measures, regional staff committees are being set up, and arrangements are being made for the recruitment this year of 46 administrative trainees under the existing arrangements. The Administrative and Clerical Staffs Whitley Council is considering a claim for substantial increases in salaries.
§ Mr. ShepherdWill the right hon. Gentleman do all he can to raise this standard rapidly, since the hospital is about the only large-scale undertaking which no one appears to be running, and it is very difficult for administrative staffs with relatively low salaries to be able to 1191 have any real influence amongst consultants who earn three, four, five and ten times the amount that the staffs earn?
§ Mr. RobinsonI would not accept all that the hon. Gentleman says. Indeed, there is at the moment a very substantial claim before the Whitley Council for administrative staffs. But I do expect great things from the National Staff Committee which, although it was set up last July, only really got going when its principal officer took up post in January this year.