§ Lord LEATHERLANDasked Her Majesty's Government:
- (i) what is the number of whole-time and part-time consultants in the National Health Service;
- (ii) what is the scale of salaries;
- (iii) how many distinction awards are there and what are the amounts involved;
- (iv) how many are in receipt of the maximum distinction award.
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL(i) The numbers of medical and dental consultants holding NHS hospital contracts in England and Wales at 30th September 1976 were as follows:
whole-time 5,187 part-time 5,778 honorary 1,363 total 12,328 (ii) The salary scale for whole-time consultants is £7,536—£8,322—£9,111£9,900—£10,689, plus a supplement of up to £312 per annum at levels below £8,500 per annum. Part-timers are paid on a pro-rata basis. Honorary consultants are not paid though they are eligible for distinction awards.
(iii and iv) The value of distinction awards and the number of consultants in receipt of each class of award are as follows:
Class Amount (England and Wales) No. receiving A+ £10,689 113 A £109 422 B £4,761 1,205 C £2,025 2,718 Consultants with A+, A, and B awards are not receiving the full value of their awards because of the staging of the April 1975 increases for those earning over £13,000 per annum.