§ 47. Mr. Lomasasked the Minister of Health if he will initiate immediate discussions with the appropriate bodies on the question of the London allowance for ancillary workers in the National Health Service, in view of the recent dispute in the London Hospital; and if he will make a statement.
§ 52. Mr. Moyleasked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the exceptional action which ancillary staff at the London Hospital took on Monday, 27th June, to draw attention to their grievances, he will immediately undertake negotiations with the appropriate trade unions on the subject of London allowances for ancillary staff in the National Health Service.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonI am certainly willing to see the unions concerned. The unofficial one day strike at the laundry of the London Hospital arose out of a claim for increased London pay for ancillary staff in the National Health Service. A claim was first submitted in July, 1965, and rejected at arbitration in February, 1966. A fresh claim based on parity with other grades of staff was submitted in May and rejected by the management side at a meeting of the Ancillary Staffs Whitley Council on 17th June. I understand that the Staff Side said they would wish to consider the2W matter further. They have not asked for arbitration.
§ 51. Mr. Moyleasked the Minister of Health if he will state in percentage terms the relationship which the number of hours lost as a result of strike action taken by ancillary staffs in London hospitals bears to the number of hours which those staffs worked, during the last 10 years.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonI have no information on the number of hours worked by ancillary staff in London hospitals in the last 10 years but the percentage would be minute.