§ Mr. Nellistasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what reduction he estimates will be necessary in the services provided by Coventry district health authority (a) by amount and (b) in whole-time equivalent nursing jobs, for that authority to meet the cost of the nurses' 1984 pay award; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeNone. We have made it clear to all health authorities that they should improve efficiency and productivity so as to release resources over and above new resources from the Government for new developments in services. They have demonstrated that this can be done, and we expect them to do even better this year. We do not envisage that pay awards will cause any setback in their plans for improving services to patients.