§ Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware that the prices of nurses' meals in hospitals were increased by between 12 per cent. and 50 per cent. per item, from 1st April, 1973, that the overall increase based on the three basic daily meals is 16 per cent., that this could absorb almost half the student nurse's recent salary increase; and what steps he intends to take to restore the real value of the salary increase.
§ Mr. AlisonFour meals a day at standard charges negotiated in the Ancillary Staffs Council are available to nurses as to other hospital staff. The council recently agreed new charges effective from 1st April, 1972, under which the cost of the main meal became 18½,p and of the four meals in total 43p. These are both increases of about 12 per cent. over the previous charges which, although they did not take effect until April, 1971, were related to December, 1970, prices. The extra payment will depend on the number of standard 319W meals taken, but even in the most extreme case could not offset the improvement in training allowances for student nurses to the extent suggested by the hon. Member.