HL Deb 15 July 2002 vol 637 cc123-4WA
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the cost of redundancy payments with the transfer of functions from health authorities to primary care trusts and strategic health authorities. [HL5091]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

Several thousand staff from health authorities and regional offices of the Department of Health transferred employment into primary care trusts and the new health authorities on 1 April 2002. Staff are currently being appointed into substantive posts in the new organisations based on their previous experience and skills. The human resources framework covering these changes set out as one of its key principles that every effort would be made to avoid redundancies in order to ensure that valuable skills and experience were not lost to the service. As a result, all staff affected have been guaranteed employment for a 12 month period ending 31 March 2003. It is expected that the majority will be found suitable alternative employment during that period but it is not possible at this stage to predict how many staff will be unable to find a suitable post. The redundancies which have taken place so far are among the former health authority chief executives. The provisional position here is that health authorities estimate that, at today's prices, they are liable to pay out about £12.5 million in respect of chief executives' severance costs. Final figures for the totality of the changes will not be available until after 31 March 2003.

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether conditions apply whereby National Health Service employees receiving a redundancy payment have to repay any moneys in the event of taking other National Health Service employemnt. [HL5092]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

Redundancy payments to National Health Service employees are governed by an agreement of the General Whitley Council. Under that agreement employees are not entitled to a redundancy payment if (a) they obtain suitable alternative employment with the same or another NHS employer within four weeks of the date of the termination of the contract or (b) unreasonably refuse to accept or apply for suitable alternative employment with the same or another NHS employer. Before payment is made employees are required to undertake to refund the redundancy payment if these conditions are not satisfied.