§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much the newly merged Eastbourne and Hastings hospital trusts will pay in additional national insurance contributions in the year 2002; [52226]
(2) how much he estimates the merged Eastbourne arid Hastings hospital trusts will pay in additional national insurance contributions in 2003. [52561]
§ Ms BlearsThe increases in national insurance, announced by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 17 April, will come into effect in April 2003. The East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust will have a gross annual pay bill of approximately £100 million, one per cent. of which would be £750,000 for April to December 2003 or £1 million for 2003–04.
Exact figures are not available as individual NHS staff members' pay and deductions are not collected centrally.