§ 19. Mr. David ShawTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the level of nurses' pay in 1979 and in the latest available year, in real terms.
§ Mr. MellorThe average pay of all nurses has gone up by 45 per cent. in real terms since 1979 and now stands at its highest ever real terms level. A typical experienced staff nurse on the maximum of the scale now has basic pay of £10,650, compared with £3,813 in 1979—an increase of £3,645 or 52 per cent. in real terms. Nurses will receive a further increase of 6.8 per cent. from 1 April 1989.