HC Deb 25 March 1985 vol 76 cc92-3W
Mr. Meacher

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons working in the National Health Service are paid less than at a full-time rate of £80 a week, how many of these are full-time or part-time, how many in each case are paid respectively £10, £20, £30 or £40 less than £80 a week, and what would be the cost of raising the incomes of all these persons to £80 a week?

Mr. John Patten

[pursuant to his reply, 18 March 1985, c. 382.]: Information is not available in the form requested. Following is the estimated proportion of full-time staff (including students and trainees) receiving average gross weekly earnings in the pay bands shown:

Average gross Weekly earnings Percentage of total full-time staff
Under £41 *
Under £51 0.1(1)
Average gross Weekly earnings Percentage of total full-time staff
Under £61 0.3(2)
Under £71 1.6(2)
Under £81 5.4
*Less than 0.05 per cent.

(1) Includes apprentice engineers, plumbers and electricians aged 16, and some ancillaries aged 16 or 17.

(2) As for (1), plus clerical officers, typists and machine operators aged 16 or 17 and student technicians.

The estimates are based on returns supplied by 10 English regions and include unpaid absences.

Information is not available on the cost of raising to £80 per week all incomes below £80 and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Funding from department
Name of research body Name and subject of research Current year £ thousand Total £ thousand Funding Expiry Date Plans for renewal
National Children's Bureau National Child Development Study—4th Sweep. 62.3 662.6 31 December 1984 Financial support for data collection finished at end 1984 but support is continuing to maintain contact with the cohort pending consideration of any future work.
Bristol University Child Health and Education Survey. 66.3 449.9 31 March 1985 Completed.
Hester Adrian Research Centre, Manchester University Follow-up study of 448 young mentally handicapped people. 23.1 62.2 30 September 1985 No further support envisaged.
Effects of early intervention on the occurrence and nature of behaviour problems in children with Down's Syndrome. Included in centre's general funding Included in centre's general funding 30 September 1985 Further support will be considered nearer completion date.
MRC Environmental Epidemiology Unit, Southampton General Hospital Cohort studies of children 15.5 15.5 31 December 1985 No further support envisaged.
(i) born to mothers in Seascale W. Cumbria; and
(ii) who were at school in Seascale.
Oxford Regional Health Authority Career preference of British Medical Graduates. 71.6 155.3 31 December 1985 Further support is under consideration.
Swansea Research Unit, University College of Swansea A study of the long term effects of whooping cough in children. 24.4 137.0 31 January 1986 Further support will be considered nearer completion date.
Department of Orthodontics, University of Manchester Effects of Malocculsion and effectiveness of orthodontic treatment. 23.2 102.6 30 September 1987 Further support will be considered nearer completion date.
Department of Pharmacy, University of Manchester A study of the careers of women pharmacists. 40.0 40.0 31 March 1985 Study completed.
St. Mary's Hospital Medical School Further analyses of the National Childhood Encephalopathy Study. 4.6 9.7 2 October 1984 Study completed.
Department of Community Medicine, St. Thomas's Hospital Medical School National Study of Health and Growth—phase III. 146.2 717.1 31 December 1986 Further support will be considered completion date.
National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford Examination of the implications of increased chances for very low birthweight infants on patterns of hospitalisation during the first 2 years of life. Included in unit's general funding Included in unit's general funding 31 March 1985 A request for further support will shortly be submitted for consideration.
A study to compare the experiences of women at low obstetric risk in 2 different systems of maternity care. Included in unit's general funding Included in unit's general funding 30 April 1985 No further support has been requested.
A study of a cohort of babies suffering neonatal seizures. Included in unit's general funding Included in unit's general funding Ongoing updating and analysis is continuing within the general support of the unit which is currently to 31 December 1987.
King's College, Chelsea, University of London: Nursing Education Research Unit Clinical Learning Project: to follow selected cohorts of student nurses through their training to ascertain what student nurses learn in clinical areas and what factors promote or inhibit learning. 43.7 234.4 30 September 1985 None.
Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton Trial of early detection of breast cancer. 189.9 1,028.8 (to date) Continuing Continuing.
Department of Epidemiology and Social Research, Manchester University Cervical cytology call and recall. Included in unit's general funding Included in unit's general funding 30 September 1986 None.
5 year follow-up of women taught breast self-examination. Included in unit's general funding Included in unit's general funding 31 July 1986 None.