HC Deb 03 March 1995 vol 255 cc765-6W
Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the cost to his Department's budget and 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.

Mr. Richards

On the recommendation of the School Teachers Review Body, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bridgend (Mr. Griffiths) on 23 February 1995,Official Report, columns 300–01. The estimated costs to the NHS in Wales in 1995–96 of implementing the review bodies' pay awards are:

Main pay increases Per cent. Pay bill costs £ million3
DDRB (doctors and dentists)1 2.5–3.0 7.1
NPRB (nurses and allied professions)2 1.5–3.0 8.0–16.0

Notes:

1 Includes hospital medical and dental (2.5 per cent. award), local pay for consultants (average 2.5 per cent. awards) and GPs (3 per cent. award).

2 The award for NPRB groups was of a 1 per cent. increase in national salary rates to be supplemented by local negotiations on pay and, where appropriate, leads and allowances and/or conditions. The review body has said that it expects that, in the majority of cases, the outcome of local negotiations would provide improvements for the staff concerned totalling between 1.5 and 3 per cent., including the 1 per cent. increase in national rates.

3Includes employers' national insurance and superannuation.

The costs of pay awards are to be met from existing budgets.