HC Deb 16 February 1995 vol 254 cc802-3W
Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will estimate the cost to local authorities' self-financed expenditure in 1995–96 of implementing in full the recommendations of(a) the School Teachers' Review Body, (b) the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration and (c) the Review Body on Nursing Staff, Midwives, Health Visitors, and Professions Allied to Medicine, assuming no changes in staff numbers;

(2) if he will estimate the cost to his Department's budget in 1995–96 of implementing in full the recommendations of (a) the School Teachers' Review Body, (b) the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration and (c) the Review Body on Nursing Staff, Midwives, Health Visitors, and Professions Allied to Medicine, assuming no change in staff numbers; and how much of the cost would be borne by (i) direct expenditure by his Department and (ii) grants and loans to local authorities.

Mr. Robert B. Jones

The School Teachers' Review Body has recommended an increase of 2.7 per cent. in teachers' pay for 1995–96. The cost of this to local authorities in England is likely to be in the order of £275 million. The recommendations of the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration and the Review Body on Nursing Staff, Midwives, Health Visitors and Professions Allied to Medicine will not directly affect local authorities' budgets. There will be no direct cost to my Department's other programmes.

The Government took account of a range of possible pay settlements for all local authority employees, including teachers, in deciding the overall level of the local government settlement.