HC Deb 07 May 1970 vol 801 cc559-60
18. Mr. Lane

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will now make a further statement about the progress of discussions on future arrangements for reviewing university teachers' salaries.

55. Mr. Ford

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now accept the agreed scheme for the negotiation of salaries for university teachers, including the proposals put forward to meet the needs of the British Medical Association and the British Dental Association, with a view to its implementation.

60. Mr. Ellis

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been made towards setting up negotiating machinery for university teaching staff.

Mr. Fowler

The Government have agreed to the establishment of negotiating machinery for the salaries of university academic staff following discussions with the University Grants Committee, the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals and the Asssociation of University Teachers and medical staff interests. The arrangements cover all academic staff except those in clinical departments. The salaries of clinical staff will continue to be related to those of hospital doctors and dentists as determined by the government in the light of recommendations of the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration, and separate machinery will be established for this purpose.

Mr. Lane

Is the Minister aware that—though we shall need to study it—that sounds like an announcement that will be very welcome to university teachers? Will he confirm, to make it doubly clear, that this means that they will not, after all, come under the wing of the Commission for Industry and Manpower, because I think that they would be no happier to be under that wing than under the wing of the Prices and Incomes Board?

Mr. Fowler

There has never been any proposal that they should come under the wing of the commission. Successive Governments have for more than a decade faced the problem of establishing negotiating machinery for academic staff. I am delighted and proud that we have been able to accomplish this.

Mr. Ellis

Will my hon. Friend accept that some of us on this side can understand words when we hear them, and that his statement was categorical and clear? We understand the difficulties he has had in getting all the various bodies together and hammering out the proposals, for which we are grateful. We are delighted about this. Is my hon. Friend aware that many of the university staffs in Bristol about whom I have written to him will be very pleased with the work the Government are doing, and that this is another triumph for the Government?

Mr. Speaker

Order. Long questions mean fewer Questions.

Mr. Fowler

I am very grateful to my hon. Friend. I will arrange for copies of the arrangements to be placed in the Library.