Written question asked by Mark Todd (Labour) on Tuesday, 25 May 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 7 June 2004. It was answered by Lord Hutton of Furness (Labour) on Monday, 7 June 2004 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the numbers of speech and language therapists requiring pay protection from April 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the numbers of speech and language therapists requiring pay protection from April 2005; and if he will make a statement. [176518] Mr. Hutton: We are currently testing the impact of the whole package of pay reform including the numbers of staff requiring protection, in 12 early implementer sites. The United Kingdom health departments and national health service unions and employer representatives are now reviewing the emerging evidence from the sites and the conclusions from this review are likely to be known in July. The agreed success criterion is that, overall no more than a small percentage of staff should require formal protection. The proposed agreement also includes provision to ensure that for any staff requiring protection, there will be a review during this period of protection, to explore whether the staff concerned could be reassigned to a higher weighted job or offered development and training to fit them for a higher weighted job.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 176518; 422 c175W;422 c174W
Session: 2003-04
Subjects: Conditions of employment Protection Pay Speech and language therapy
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk