§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy to bring pay awards forward to before the beginning of the financial year to enable regional health authorities and district health authorities to plan future annual budgets; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonWe recognise the desirability of early settlements in the interests both of the staff concerned and 125W of bringing greater certainty into the health authority planning process. For doctors, dentists, nursing staff, midwives, health visitors and the professions allied to medicine, we expect this to be greatly assisted by the change from 1989 in the timetable for review body reports, which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has asked the review bodies to submit some three months earlier than hitherto. This change should also help in achieving earlier settlements for those groups whose pay and conditions of service are negotiated in the Whitley councils. The conduct of those negotiations is a matter for the respective management sides and the speed with which they can be concluded also depends on the response of the staff sides to the offers which are made.