HC Deb 27 November 1972 vol 847 cc25-6W
Mr. Judd

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will seek to ascertain and list the social service departments in England and Wales visited personally by Mr. J. B. Butterworth in the undertaking of his inquiry into the work and pay of probation officers and social workers; how many area officers, senior social workers, social workers, social work assistants and trainee social workers Mr. Butterworth interviewed; and how many interviews he had with clerks, directors of education, and medical officers of health of local authorities about the present rôle and responsibilities of social service officers;

(2) whether he will seek to ascertain and make public the lists of duties and responsibilities of probation officers and local authority social workers used by the Butterworth Inquiry in undertaking the job evaluation of probation officers and social workers;

(3) whether he will conduct a survey of probation officers now employed in social work departments in Scotland so as to establish how they evaluate their present work and responsibilities as compared with those when they were employed as probation officers in a separate probation service;

(4) whether he will make public the evidence submitted by the Department of Health and Social Security to the Butterworth Inquiry into the work and pay of probation officers and social workers.

Mr. Dudley Smith

The Report of the Butterworth Inquiry (Cmnd. 5076) published in August made pay proposals, generally endorsed by Ministers in accordance with Government policy of accepting whenever possible the recommendations of independent review bodies appointed by Ministers to consider the pay of particular groups. The report was comprehensive and covered Scotland as well as England and Wales.

Full information about the extent of the inquiry is contained in the published report.

Sixty-four jobs in the three services were described and analysed and these descriptions were approved by job holders. Examples of job descriptions are provided in Appendix VI to the Butterworth Report and further information about the job evaluation exercise is contained in the body of the report.

Mr. Butterworth gave in his report such details of the evidence received—which included oral evidence from the Department of Health and Social Security—as he thought necessary to elucidate his conclusions.

I see no need therefore for any further such inquiries, surveys or publications so soon after the completion of the inquiry.