HC Deb 26 March 1974 vol 871 cc266-7
16. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will take steps to ensure that the pay and conditions of nurses within the National Health Service are soon improved.

Dr. Owen

Improvements to nurses' pay and certain conditions of service are included in a general settlement which has recently been negotiated and agreed by the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council and which will come into operation from 1st April. We are aware of the concern of the nursing organisations over their claim for a general revaluation of salary scales and my right hon. Friend hopes to meet representatives of the staff side shortly for a general discussion on their problems.

Mr. Hamilton

Does my hon. Friend realise that many nurses regard the Whitley Council machinery as grossly unsatisfactory and unrepresentative of their views? Will he follow up the suggestion made by the President of the Royal College of Nursing only yesterday that there should be an independent inquiry into the pay and career structure of the nursing service, and that such an inquiry should report within a time scale comparable to that applicable to the inquiry into the mining industry?

Dr. Owen

These are the sort of issues which will not doubt be raised by the nurses when they meet my right hon. Friend in the discussions which I have stated are to take place.

Mrs. Kellett-Bowman

Does not the hon. Gentleman regret that the Government are preventing the nurses from going to the Relativities Board, which would have given them a square deal?

Dr. Owen

That comes very hard from the hon. Lady. It was her Government which arranged the present negotiated settlement and increased the meals charges—increases which are due to take effect on 1st April.

Mr. Ashton

Does my hon. Friend realise that, now that supplementary benefits are to be increased, many people will be going to work for less than they could get by staying off work? Is there any intention to introduce a national minimum wage or any other measure for lower-paid workers?

Dr. Owen

We are aware that there are many people who give dedicated service inside the National Health Service and whose wages are not as high as many of us would wish. This is one of the issues which will no doubt be raised when my right hon. Friend meets the staff side.