§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the average number of hours worked per week in Scotland by(a) primary school teachers, (b) secondary school teachers, (c) National Health Service doctors, (d) National Health Service nursing staff, and (e) employees of the Scottish Development Agency.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe available information is as follows:
Average hours per week (a) Primary school teachers 25.9 (b) Secondary school teachers 27.4 (c) National Health Service doctors n.a. (d) National Health Service nursing staff 32.0 (e) Employees of the Scottish Development Agency n.a. Notes:
Figures at (a) and (b) are from 1984 and relate only to the timetabled working hours in school in a normal working week. Due to industrial action schools comprehensive data for subsequent years was not collected. Data from the 1988 School Census will become available later this year. In January 1987 new conditions of service for teachers, including working hours, were agreed in the Scottish Joint Negotiating Committee for Teaching Staff in School Education.
Figures shown at (d) are estimates based on recorded hours worked in the period ended 30 September 1988. They include data for part-time staff and staff in training. No corresponding information is available for doctors.
Comparable figures are not available for staff of the Scottish Development Agency. The majority of SDA staff are in salaried non-overtime grades and usually work considerably more than their contracted 35 hours. All but the most junior grades are contracted to work 35 hours per week plus hours governed by the exigencies of the work.