§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the outcome was of the claim by speech therapists for equal pay with equivalent professions in the NHS; how much has been provided to health authorities for settlement of compensation claims; and if he will set a target date for all claims to be paid in full. [142753]
205W
§ Mr. DenhamMost claims were settled through negotiations which found that 351 speech and language therapists out of some 1,800 who lodged claims were due retrospective payment. The settlement also provided a revised grading structure which gave access to the clinical psychologists' pay spine.
The costs of the settlement will be met from within health authority allocations. Every health authority will get a general increase in their allocations to meet pay and other cost pressures. Employers have been asked to make payments within four weeks (or as soon as possible thereafter) of notification that the speech and language therapist has accepted the settlement offer.