§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Social Services on what grounds the Government are satisfied by paragraph 47 of the Clegg report, in view of its failure to recognise that speech therapy is an integral part of medical services; and what measures the Government now intend to undertake to remedy the grave dissatisfaction of speech therapists with the Clegg report.
§ Dr. VaughanAs an independent body, the Clegg Standing Commission is able to answer for its own findings. Paragraph 47 of the report on professions supplementary to medicine and related groups such as speech therapy is not concerned with the obvious relationship of these professions to medical services but with the evidence presented to the Commission in respect of the differentials within each profession examined between basic grade staff and those in senior and supervisory grades. The new scales recommended in the report have been agreed by the Professional and Technical "A" Whitley Council and any further adjustment to those differentials would be a matter for that council. I have agreed to make arrangements shortly to meet representatives of the speech therapy profession to discuss issues of concern to them other than those which are more appropriate for discussion within the Whitley council.