HC Deb 23 March 1988 vol 130 c150W
Mr. Nicholas Bennett

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the maximum pay scale for(a) a registered nurse, (b) a ward sister and (c) a student registered nurse at constant and cash prices for each year since 1974.

Mr. Newton

The information is given in the table:

(a) (b)
Cash terms Real terms
1984–85 - 1.4 -5.6
1985–86 + 3.1 -2.6
1986–87 + 2.6 -0.5

Spending on nurse training is determined largely by health authorities in the light of their local assessments of the future need for professional staff. The objective is to ensure that training provision matches the needs of the NHS, not to maintain any set level of expenditure.