HC Deb 16 July 1970 vol 803 cc252-4W
Mr. Stanbrook

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the fact that the arrangements are proposed to be made for retirement pensions to be paid to the over 80s, he will now consider proposing the award of death grants to cover such cases.

Mr. Dean

No. I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friends the Members for Abingdon (Mr. Neave) and Hornsey (Mr. Rossi) in the course of the Second Reading of the National Insurance (Old Persons' and Widows' Pensions and Attendance

HOSPITAL DOCTORS AND DENTISTS
Date Increase Annual Cost £ million
1st January, 1960 … … … 22 per cent. over 1955 rates (including two interim awards on 1st April, 1957 and 1st January, 1959) 7.72
1st April, 1963 … … … 14 per cent. 9.11
1st April, 1965 … … … — —
1st October, 1966 … … … 13.5 per cent. 10.11
1st October, 1967 … … … — —
1st April, 1968 … … … — —
1st January, 1969 … … … 8 per cent. 7.81
GENERAL MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS*
Date Increase Annual Cost £ million
Net Remuneration
1st January, 1960 … … … 22 per cent. over 1955 rates (including two interim awards on 1st April, 1957 and 1st January, 1959) 5.5
1st April, 1963 … … … 14 per cent. 7.7
1st April, 1965 … … … 10 per cent. 5.5
Gross Remuneration
1st October, 1966 … … … 12.5 per cent. 13
1st April, 1967 … … … 12.5 per cent. 13 (2nd stage of Review Body's Seventh Report)
1st April, 1968 … … … — 2.7 (Increase for practice expenses only)
1st January, 1969 … … … 6 per cent. 7.2
* From 1960 to 1965, the awards for general medical practitioners were in terms of net remuneration (i.e. excluding practice expenses); from 1966 onwards, recommendations by the Review Body in respect of general medical practitioners have been in terms of gross remuneration, including practice expenses.

Position before 1960

  1. 1. Prior to 1960 all doctors received interim awards, pending the Commission's Report, of 5 per cent. in 1957 and 4 per cent. in 1959. Hospital doctors and dentists had previously been given increases of about 15 per cent. on 1st April, 1954. Information on the costs of these increases is not available.
  2. 2. For general medical practitioners the Danckwerts award in 1952 increased payments into the Central Pool (which did not cover all Executive Council payments) from £196 million to £233 million over the 5 years 1948–49 to 1952–53. It is not possible to calculate from the award a percentage increase or an annual increase in cost for the subsequent years.
  3. 3. The annual costs of the increases shown do not include payment of arrears but in 1960 the Royal Commission recommended retrospective payments for general medical practitioners and hospital doctors and dentists who were employed in the National Health Service at any time between March, 1957 and December, 1959. The cost of these payments was £11 million for general medical practitioners and £11.3 million for hospital doctors and dentists.

Allowance) Bill on 10th July.—[Vol. 803, c. 1091.]