§ Sir David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether a settlement has now been reached in respect of the pay of university clinical academic staff; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Soleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to reach a decision on the comparability of pay between clinical academic staff and academic staff generally.
§ Mr. WaldenThe clinical academic staff salaries committee agreed on 7 February that the salaries of clinical academic staff should be increased in line with the 1985 award for NHS doctors and dentists. In reaching this agreement the Committee had before them a letter that my right hon. Friend had sent on the previous day to the Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals. The text of this letter is
6 February 1986Dear MauriceI undertook to let the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals have a response before tomorrow's meeting of CASSC to your letter of 18 June about clinical academics' pay. I am sorry not to have been able to write before now.So far as the outstanding 1985 award is concerned I am able to tell you that the UGC can find the sum necessary to compensate universities with medical schools for the difference between clinical and non-clinical pay awards.As to the future, the Government agrees that clinical academics' pay should in principle be linked to NHS doctors' pay, which is settled following DDRB recommendations. The universities will not be given less favourable treatment than the Hospital and Community Health Service in any decisions to provide additional funds to meet additional costs arising from DDRB pay awards.I am sending a copy of this letter to Peter Swinnerton-Dyer.Yours ever Keith