§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what effect the implementation in full of the review body's recommendations on doctors' and dentists' pay, amounting to nearly a 30 per cent. increase, will have upon other sectors of the health services whose pay negotiations are in progress in view of the existing levels of cash limits.
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§ Dr. VaughanThe increases to be paid to National Health Service doctors and dentists, in line with the recommendations in the tenth report of the Independent Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' remuneration, complete the staging, begun in 1978, necessary to bring their remuneration to the proper levels at 1 April 1980, having regard to the earnings of other professions and comparable groups. The Government and their predecessors were committed to this objective. The increases are analogous to those paid to other groups of NHS staff following implementation in the last pay round of recommendations by the Clegg Commission on pay comparability, to which the Government were also committed. Against this background, I do not consider that the settlement for doctors and dentists should affect outstanding pay negotiations for other NHS staff in the current round, where I look to both management and staff sides to continue to negotiate responsibly.