HC Deb 21 December 1988 vol 144 cc303-5W
Mr. Jim Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will identify the total amount of additional money allocated to Northern Ireland on the basis of the Government's announcement of extra funding for the clinical regrading exercise.

Mr. Needham

Northern Ireland's share of the extra funding for the clinical regrading exercise was £5.4 million. This was in addition to the initial allocation of £18.5 million made following the review body announcement.

Mr. Jim Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the reasons for delays in the issuing of appeal results to nurses in Northern Ireland.

Mr. Needham

No formal appeals have been heard in Northern Ireland. When requested, the grades of some nurses are being reviewed informally and the outcomes of these reviews are being notified to nurses as quickly as possible.

Mr. Jim Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total amount of money allocated to the National Health Service in Northern Ireland for the implementation of clinical regrading.

Mr. Needham

The total provision for nurses pay has been increased by £32.2 million in the current year compared with 1987.88.

Mr. Jim Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to allow individual nurses in Northern Ireland an opportunity to set down the work they do as part of the clinical grading review; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Needham

The clinical grading exercise in Northern Ireland was carried out by line managers and when the job content of a nurse's post was not known nurses were asked to provide details of the work they did. Those nurses who are dissatisfied with the outcome of the grading exercise may ask for their grading to be reviewed and at this stage they have the opportunity to submit full details of the work they do.

Mr. Jim Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money(a) in cash figures and (b) as percentages of nursing budgets is estimated as necessary by the initial National Health Service clinical grading exercise for Northern Ireland as a whole and for each of the four health boards.

Mr. Needham

The initial provision for the clinical grading exercise based on the recommendations of the review body was for an average overall increase in costs, outside London, of 14.5 per cent. The amounts for each board were:

£ million
Northern 4.2
Southern 4.1
Eastern 13.6
Western 4.2

The total for Northern Ireland including the national board for nursing, midwifery and health visiting is £26.8 million.

Mr. Jim Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why the initial National Health Service grading exercise has now been imposed on nurses in Northern Ireland without prior consultation with either the nurses concerned or their staff organisations; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Needham

The clinical grading criteria, recommended by the nurses pay review body and accepted in full by the Government, have been applied to nurses in Northern Ireland following full consultation and with the agreement of the staff representatives on staff side of the Northern Ireland staffs joint council for nurses and midwives.

Mr. Jim Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to ensure that the imposition of grades on nurses in Northern Ireland complies with the requirements of the Equal Pay Act (NI) 1970, the Sex Discrimination Order (NI) 1976 and the Fair Employment Act (NI) 1976; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Needham

The implementation of the clinical grading structure in Northern Ireland is a matter for health and social services boards as employing authorities.

I am satisfied that boards have had due regard to existing legislation in carrying out this task.

Mr. Jim Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give details of the amount of money set aside for successful grading appeals(a) within the total allocation for the Health Service in Northern Ireland and (b) within each of the health board's allocations.

Mr. Needham

The funds being allocated to area boards etc—which include £32.2 million as the assessed cost of the clinical grading review—are intended to cover all pay costs arising in the current financial year, including any costs arising from successful appeals.