NHS Ancillary Staff (Pay) (Hansard, 10 May 1988)

§ 14. Mr. Doran
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on progress towards a pay award for the National Health Service ancillary staff and how it is to be funded.

§ 15. Mr. Ingram
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on progress towards a pay award for the National Health Service ancillary staff and how it is to be funded.

§ Mr. Newton
I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave to the hon. Members for Glasgow, Shettleston (Mr. Marshall) and for Bridgend (Mr. Griffiths) earlier today.

§ Mr. Doran
The Minister will be well aware that many of the problems in the Health Service were caused by the Government's failure last year to fund increases. He has spoken about the matter this afternoon, but will he give a commitment that in the event of a shortfall in any health board—and we have heard rumours that there will be such shortfalls—his Department will make up the difference to ensure that there is no knock-on effect on other health services?

§ Mr. Newton
I do not see how any question of shortfall could arise at a time when negotiations are proceeding on the subject of the hon. Gentleman's question, namely, ancillary staff. We expect that health authorities and boards in Scotland will be able to meet the results of any negotiation out of the resources available to them.

§ Mr. Ingram
Is the Minister aware that many ancillary workers earn poverty wages below the European guideline on decency levels which are set at £32.5 per hour? Does he agree that that is miserly pay for people who do such a valuable job in the Health Service?

§ Mr. Newton
I readily recognise that many ancillary workers make an important contribution to the provision of the service as a whole. I have also said—one or two hon. embers may not have heard me say it, so I shall have to say it again—that the wages of that group are higher in real terms than when the Government came to office, and that when the Labour Government left office they were lower in real terms than when they took office.