§ Mr. Goughasked the Minister of Health how far hospital joint staffs' consultative committees are considered competent to discuss and decide upon matters of hours and wages; and why membership of a trade union or professional organisation is insisted upon as a prerequisite for belonging to such committees.
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§ Mr. Iain MacleodRates of pay and conditions of service generally in the hospital service are determined nationally by the Whitley Councils and are outside the competence of hospital staffs consultative committees; they may, however, consider purely local matters such as the distribution of the working hours of particular grades of staff in their own hospitals. The conditions governing eligibility for membership of joint consultative committees in hospitals are contained in a General Whitley Council agreement, and any question of their revision is therefore a matter for consideration by that Whitley Council.