§ Mr. LansleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the liability in the 2003–04 accounts of NHS Trusts of the implementation of the new consultant's contract. [168906]
§ Mr. HuttonFunding for the consultant contract, based on the methodology agreed with the British Medical Association during the negotiations, was allocated to primary care trusts in full in December 2002 as part of main allocations. For 2003–04, additional funding worth 0.3 per cent. of allocations was allocated to primary care trusts for the implementation of the new consultant contract. We have given clear guidance to the National Health Service about how to manage costs within the financial envelope and how to manage funding flows, but decisions on how to spend this funding are made locally.
§ Mr. LansleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) headcount and (b) whole-time equivalent consultants there were in each year between 1979 and 1997 inclusive. [168995]
§ Mr. HuttonThe information requested is shown in the table. 157W
Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS) consultants by year—numbers and whole time equivalents (wtes)—as at 30 September each year Number Wte 1979 13,034 11,578.4 1980 13,276 12,045.1 1981 13,545 12,300.4 1982 13,672 12,438.9 1983 13,987 12,723.8 1984 14,259 13,016.9 1985 14,535 13,257.4 1986 14,838 13,505.7 1987 15,081 13,681.5 1988 15,385 14,052.1 1989 15,883 14,517.5 1990 16,525 15,011.4 1991 16,834 15,332.8 1992 17,279 15,695.9 1993 17,605 16,044.5 1994 18,155 16,537.5 1995 19,524 17,899.6 1996 20,402 18,602.6 1997 21,474 19,661.3 Notes: 1. Figures before 1987 exclude staff on KE payscales (district directors of public health) as data on these are unavailable before 1987. 2. In 1987 there were 68 such staff. Source: Department of Health medical and dental workforce census.