§ Lord Molloyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether consideration can now be given to enabling the recommendations of the Review Body for Nursing Staff, Midwives, Health Visitors and Professions Allied to Medicine, to be brought in line with the traditional negotiating machinery as applied to other professions and trades and to making awards in one stage.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Baroness Trumpington)The Government introduced the Review Body for Nursing Staff, Midwives, Health Visitors and Professions Allied to Medicine in order to create better arrangments for determining the pay of the professions concerned and to recognise the special position of such staff—the vast majority of whom eschew industrial action. The Government have made it clear that they will implement review body reports except where there are clear and compelling reasons not to do so. In the case of this year's review body report, the Government accepted its recommendations, apart from the operative date. That date was adjusted for two clear and compelling reasons: first, the need to hold National Health Service expenditure within planned budgets; and, second, the effect on services to patients of devoting more of the resources available to pay. Similar considerations would apply whatever the machinery for determining pay.