REGIONAL PAY IN THE NHS

Early day motion 719, tabled 13 November 2012 by Andrew George (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 19 members.

That this House believes national pay agreements are an important part of the infrastructure that underpins a national health service; agrees with the statement by the Deputy Prime Minister that there is going to be no regional pay system;notes with increasing concern attempts by 20 trusts in the South West of England to opt out of national agreements by reducing staff pay and changing terms and conditions; regrets that through the Agenda for Change pay systemthe previous administration introduced regional flexibilities; further regrets that the previous administration also introduced local pay variation in the courts services; recognises that the previous administration established foundation trusts and in so doing removed the power of the Secretary of State to issue directions to trusts over matters of pay; looks forward to the early publication of the NHS Pay Review Body report on the case for further reform to the pay system; and calls on the Governmentto do all that it can to resist regional or local pay variations in publicservices and to support employers and trades unions to work to resolve the pay review as quickly as possible and in the best interests of staff and patients.

Signatures by party: Liberal Democrat 14, Labour 2, Alliance 1, Green 1, Plaid Cymru 1.