§ Mr. Guy Barnettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report the steps he took to safeguard the interests of the staff of the New Cross school for dental therapists, following his assurance to the House on 21 January, Official Report, c. 515.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergWe have so far:
- (1) obtained from their employer copies of staff of service;
- (2) ascertained what interests the staff have under their contracts;
- (3) ensured through liaison with the employing company that their plans take account of those interests;
- (4) agreed to provide funds for the employing company's wide interpretation of the contracts for redundancy terms to staff made unemployed;
- (5) discussed with several dental hospitals future arrangements for training dental therapists and possible re-employment opportunities for some staff of the New Cross school.
§ Mr. Guy Barnettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the cost of redundancy compensation to the staff of the New Cross school for dental therapists on the basis of section XXV of the Whitley council conditions of service.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe cost will depend on the number of staff made redundant and their individual circumstances.
§ Mr. Guy Barnettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the cost of redundancy 139W compensation for the staff of the New Cross school for dental therapists on the same basis as that which applies to civil servants and academic staff.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe cost of redundancy payments will depend on the number of staff who become redundant, and this is not known.
§ Mr. Guy Barnettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of the 31 staff of the New Cross school for dental therapists will receive redundancy terms above the statutory minimum.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergStaff at the school have not been made redundant and individual redundancy payments will depend on how many become redundant and on what their individual circumstances are.
§ Mr. Guy Barnettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he received from the committee of management for the New Cross school for dental therapists about the request of the British Dental Association that the staff of the New Cross school for dental therapists should be given redundancy terms at the same level as those for civil servants and academic staff.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe company has brought to the Department's notice a copy of a note by the British Dental Association, dated 4 May 1982.
§ Mr. Guy Barnettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he consulted the British Dental Asociation, NALGO, the Royal College of Nursing, the AUEW and the TGWU before he and the New Cross school for dental therapists decided upon the redundancy terms for the staff of the New Cross school.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergNo. It is not for Ministers to decide upon the redundancy terms for the staff. The employing company is financed by the Deprtment and we have undertaken to fund certain redundancy payments in accordance with a wide interpretation by the company of staff contracts.
§ Mr. Guy Barnettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has now discussed with the school for dental therapists limited future employment of the dental therapy teaching staff in accordance with the undertaking he gave to the hon. Member for Crewe (Mrs. Dunwoody) Official Report, 19 May, c. 126; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe school is not due to close until the summer of 1983, but officers of the Department have had discussions with the employing company about the future of the staff.