§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which national health service trusts have sought approval for the purchase of motor vehicles for senior staff; what is the total value in each case; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 13 May 1994]: NHS trusts are not required to seek prior approval for the purchase of motor vehicles. Information on numbers and costs is not held centrally.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance he has issued to health boards or hospital trusts on collective bargaining to take account of the new circumstances created by the existence of hospital trusts as employers.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 12 May 1994]: No specific guidance as such has been issued. In 1 April 1993 however a contract was let for the provision of a pay intelligence unit service to the NHS in Scotland. Part of this service covers advice and training to individual employers on local pay matters.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy on the co-ordination of wage and salary negotiations for trusts within(a) a health board area or (b) within Scotland; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 12 May 1994]: Existing NHS staff who transfer to the employment of NHS trusts are entitled to retain their national terms and conditions of employment—including pay. For these staff, pay negotiations are conducted on a United Kingdom-wide basis within the Whitley council and pay review body systems.
NHS trusts are free to negotiate locally on the pay of staff on trust terms and conditions of service. These arrangements would apply to new staff and to staff who have elected to transfer to the trust's terms and conditions of service.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what instructions the management executive of the Scottish health service has given to trusts concerning competitive tendering for hotel services; and what provision has been made for financial penalties on trusts which do not go out to tender.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 5 May 1994]: Comprehensive guidance on market testing in the national health service—formerly competitive tendering—was issued to health boards and national health service trusts on 6 October 1993. This consolidated all earlier guidance which had been issued since 1987 when competitive tendering was introduced in the national health service in Scotland. The guidance addressed all aspects of market testing including hotel services.
Although no financial penalties are imposed on national health service trusts which do not put services out to tender, in line with the Government's White Paper "Competing for Quality", CM 1730, they are required to 368W prove that they are achieving value for money. The terms of the White Paper and the guidance apply equally to health boards and national health service trusts, which should include in their annual reports an account of their market testing programmes.