§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he will make a statement on the decision by the National Health Service management to withdraw the proposal for flat rate payments for special duties;
(2) what are the implications of the decision to withdraw the proposal for flat rate payment for special duties for the future of the current percentage payments to nursing staff;
(3) what are his proposals for the future of special duty payments for nursing staff.
§ Mr. NewtonThe management side of the Nursing and Midwifery Staffs Negotiating Council indicated that, since there was no realistic prospect of agreeing joint evidence on a new structure for special duty payments to put to the Nurses Pay Review Body for its current review, it felt the appropriate course was for the review body itself to be380W invited to consider the level of such payments as part of its work on nurses' pay issues as a whole. It will be for the review body to decide whether it wishes to make any recommendations.