§ Mr. John Fraserasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many speech therapists are paid according to Whitley, Burnham and local authority scales of pay, respectively; and if he will publish this information.
§ Mr. CrossmanThe National Health Service Whitley Council agreements apply to all speech therapists employed in the hospital service, of whom there were the equivalent of 166 whole-time staff (provisional figures) in post in England and Wales at 30th September, 1969. I understand that the Whitley Council agreements are also applied by local education authorities to the great majority of speech therapists employed in the school health service, of whom there were in total the equivalent of 471 whole-time staff in post in England and Wales at 31st December, 1968, but I have no reliable information about the numbers of speech therapists outside the hospital service who might be employed on Burnham or other rates of pay. The Whitley Council is currently reviewing both the pay and grading of speech therapists.