§ Miss Quennellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, following the reorganisation on 1st April 1974, local health authority staff's nationally and locally negotiated conditions of service will be fully protected on transfer.
§ Sir K. JosephProtection will be provided in accordance with Section 19 of the National Health Service Reorganisation Act 1973. Transferred local authority staff will be entitled to scales of remuneration not less favourable than those enjoyed on 31st March 1974 where their new duties are reasonably comparable to the duties to their former employment.
They will also be entitled to conditions of service other than remuneration which are not less favourable on the whole than those they now enjoy, irrespective of whether or not the new duties are reasonably comparable to the old. In general, it is the intention that they should be able to retain those conditions which have been negotiated nationally or locally and which are superior to the corresponding health service conditions.
A circular explaining the protection arrangements, on which there has been full consultation, will be issued within the next few weeks and I will arrange for a copy to be sent to my hon. Friend.