§ Mr. Kennedyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report the net financial effect in terms of budgetary savings which will have to be found from existing resources for each of the health authorities in England and Wales as a result of Her Majesty's Government's decision on the recommendations of the Review Body on Nurses and Midwives Pay.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe Government's decision on nurses' and midwives pay will cost health authorities in England £173 million in 1985–86 — a 5.6 per cent. increase on the paybill for these groups. Health authority cash limits for 1985–86 included a cash increase of 5½ per cent. or over £500 million. Health authorities n England will also have available to them resources released by the growing programme of cost improvements which are planned to amount to about £150 million in 1985–86.
It will be for individual health authorities to calculate the cost of the pay awards to themselves and settle their funding arrangements in the light of local circumstances.