§ Mr. Wheelerasked the Prime Minister when she will publish the report of the Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body; and whether she will make a statement concerning the Government's response.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Tenth Report (1980) of the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration is published today as Cmnd. 7903.
I am grateful to the Review Body, under its new chairman, Sir Robert Clark, for completing the task begun in 1978 of bringing doctors' and dentists' pay fully up to date by 1980. Our predecessors were committed to that objective and we undertook to honour that commitment.
The review body's recommendations this year comprise two elements (i) the increase necessary to bring the remuneration of doctors and dentists into the proper relationship with those of other professions and comparable groups at 1 April 1979, and (ii) the further increase necessary to take account of developments since then. A considerable part of the total increase this year is therefore a deferred payment.
The Government are ready to accept the Review Body's recommendations.