§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will ensure that payment of the nurses' increment backdated to 1 April will be included in the monthly payment due at the end of May.
§ Dr. VaughanI understand that some NHS authorities included the new basic rates in April 1979 salary payments to nurses and that authorities generally are expected to be paying the new rates at the end of May.
§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many nurses are employed in the National Health Service in England and Wales who work fewer than 35 hours per week; and what is his estimate of the cost of awarding them a pay increase comparable to that of other nurses.
§ Dr. VaughanInformation is not held centrally on the number of hours worked by nurses who are employed part-time. In the recent pay settlement, nurses contracted to work fewer than 35 hours a week did not receive payments on account of £2 or £2.50 per week. But, since payments on account are to be offset against the first sage of the Standing Commission's award, the ultimate cost for those who did, or did not, receive such payments will not be affected. This was a feature of the pay settlement concluded by the Whitley Council, and I do not intend to seek to have that settlement reopened.