Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made the effect of recent NHS pay policy on the ability of the NHS to recruit and retain nursing staff.

The aim of the Government's pay policy is to fairly reward nurses and other staff while ensuring that pay is affordable and that front-line patient services are protected. Our assessment of this policy is that it has been effective in recruiting, retaining and motivating the nursing workforce. There are now more nurses than at any time under the previous Government.