Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of lifting the NHS pay cap and allowing the NHS Pay Review Body to set pay increases.

In setting the public sector pay policy, the Government struck a balance between giving hard working staff a pay rise and the need to exercise restraint in public spending.

The independent NHS Pay Review Body and the independent Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration took evidence from the Government, NHS Employers, National Health Service trade unions and other stakeholders and made recommendations on the level of pay needed to recruit and retain NHS staff.

This year the Government accepted the Review Bodies’ recommendations of a pay rise of 1% for all staff groups.