§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the recent 31 per cent. salary rise for Great Britain's 1,000 part-time medical officers employed by his Department complies with the 6 per cent. cash limit imposed upon other workers in the National Health Service and doctors' pay in general.
§ Dr. VaughanPart-time medical services for the Department are provided by doctors, mainly general practitioners, on a fee-paid basis. These services are not provided under the National Health Service. The increase of 31 per cent., which was promulgated in June last, took effect from 1 April 1980. The figure of 31 per cent. originated in the Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body report for 1980–81. This included the last stage of the increases recommended in the review body's 1978 report which was implemented on a staged basis. In addition, negotiations between the Civil Service Department and the British Medical Association which began in 1978 led to a restructuring of the fee scales with effect from 1 October 1980. This resulted in a further increase of varying amounts in some of the fees.