§ 11. Mr. Molloyasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many nurses and teachers have obtained employment through his Department in the last six months.
§ Mr. John FraserThe figures are 2,813 and 50 respectively.
§ Mr. MolloyIs my hon. Friend aware that both nurses and teachers have been caused a great deal of anger and annoyance 1126 over the past three years and that the present demonstrations that they are making are the result of this massive frustration? Will he do all in his power to ease their annoyance and frustration so that more teachers and nurses can be recruited to do the admirable work which our society needs?
§ Mr. FraserMy hon. Friend's supplementary question does not arise strictly out of his Question. The House will recognise, however, that my right hon. Friend has set up two general reviews—one into teachers' pay and the other into nurses' pay. I do not know that we have had a Government in recent memory who have taken such urgent and quick action over the problems of these two professions.
§ Mr. Raphael TuckDoes not my hon. Friend feel that, instead of nurses and teachers obtaining employment, they will leave their employment if the Government insist on implementing the deplorable Pay Board report and refusing to give local weighting to nurses and teachers working in places like Watford, where 50 yards away in the town hall people get that local allowance? Is the Government's motto to be "The Pay Board, right or wrong"?
§ Mr. FraserIn answering questions on this matter last week my right hon. Friend did not give any impression that negotiators were rigidly constrained by the Pay Board report and he said that as soon as possible they would not be rigidly constrained by a statutory incomes policy. The report affords valuable guidance that there is evidence of the higher cost of living in London. If payments were made over and above these costs it would mean a transfer of resources from other parts of the country to the capital.