§ Mr. BluntTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what average change in pay he expects for speech and language therapists in real terms over three years under Agenda for Change; and what proportion of these posts in the NHS are held by women. [114781]
§ Mr. Hutton [holding answer 21 May 2003]The Agenda for Change proposals include a 10 per cent. uplift to basic pay for all staff groups over the three years from April 2003 to March 2006 and a further estimated increase of 2.5 per cent. in basic pay on average. The changes in pay (over and above 10 per cent.) for specific groups, such as speech and language therapists, will depend on decisions made locally about which national job profile matches a particular post or, where there is no match with a national profile, on a local job evaluation. 97.3 per cent. of the qualified speech and language therapist workforce is female.
Source:
487WDepartment of Health Non-medical Workforce Census, September 2001.
§ Mr. BluntTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the implementation of Agenda for Change is conditional upon the results of a ballot of NHS staff; and what account will be taken of the results of consultation with NHS staff in deciding whether Agenda for Change will be rolled out nationally in October 2004. [114782]
§ Mr. HuttonAgenda for Change has been negotiated by staff and management sides working in partnership. Staff side organisations are consulting their members about Agenda for Change and the majority of these organisations have now announced their results. We expect that a decision about implementation will be made jointly by the United Kingdom health departments, unions and employer representatives once consultation is complete. If this decision is positive, then we will move to the early implementation phase. Where there is evidence from the early implementer sites that the success criteria in the proposed agreement are not being sufficiently met, the appropriate action would be discussed before national roll-out in the new NHS Staff Council. All the nationally recognised staff organisations will be represented on the proposed NHS Staff Council.