HC Deb 19 December 1973 vol 866 cc319-21W
Mr. Sillars

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the weekly average earnings by ambulancemen in each of the past five years; and if he will indicate the amount of overtime working required for these average earnings to be paid.

Mr. Gordon Campbell

The information requested is as follows:

Average Earnings Average Hours Overtime Worked
£
Year ended 31st March 1970 23.86 5.0
Year ended 31st March 1971 27.54 5.0
Year ended 31st March 1972 29.44 5.5
Year ended 31st March 1973 32.56 5.5
Period 1st April—30th November 1973 36.10 6.5

Overtime is paid for hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week.

Mr. Sillars

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action his Department has taken to attempt to resolve the state, for each group listed, the number of instances in which the invalid tricycle involved was driven by a learner driver.

Mr. Gordon Campbell

Records are not kept in such a way that information in the form requested can be provided without a disproportionate use of resources. Such information as is available, however, suggests that the number of fatal accidents by categories is as follows:

present dispute by ambulancemen; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gordon Campbell

As the present disputes relates to pay, it is for the Pay and Conditions of Service Committee of the Scottish ambulance service to deal with in the first instance.

At the meeting of the committee on 12th December the management side, which includes representatives of my Department, tabled the same offer to the staff side as had previously been tabled for local government manual workers who include ambulancemen in England and Wales. The offer would give an increase of £2.32 to the basic weekly rate, and ambulancemen with five years' service would in addition receive an increase of 30p a week to their service supplement. The offer also provides for additional holidays and, in accordance with the Price and Pay Code, improved payments for unsocial hours working and the implementation of a threshold agreement.

The management side, in making the offer, said it was prepared to consider urgently with the staff side further progress on the present efficiency scheme agreement and gave an assurance that as from next April the pay negotiations of Scottish ambulancemen would form part of the new negotiating machinery that would be set up within the National Health Service for all ambulancemen. The staff side was urged, in the light of these assurances and the offer that had been tabled, to consider urgently calling off its industrial action and to resume normal working with consequent benefit to all, particularly the patients. The response of the staff side is awaited.