§ Baroness Jegerasked Her Majesty's Government:
To what amount living-in charges for various grades of nurses have been increased; and what will be the net effect of those increases on the proposed rise in their weekly pay.
§ Lord TrefgarneLodging charges for nurses are determined by the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council. In 1981 the council reached an agreement whereby charges related to the full cost of providing the accommodation would be phased-in over four years up to 1984 (two years for students and other nurses under 22). In the light of the two-year pay settlement operative from 23rd August 1982 the council has now agreed that the increases due in the years 1982–83 and 1983–84 should be recovered over the period 1st October 1982 to 31st March 1984. The increase in weekly charges for the different standards of accommodation appropriate to selected nursing grades, together with estimates of the increases in net basic pay and earnings, are shown in the table below. It is estimated that only 10 per cent. of nurses live in hospital accommodation, and the great majority of these are students and other nurses under 22 for whom the charges are abated by 40 per cent.
1275WA