Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State, what plans he has to implement an (a) early and (b) significant pay rise for Agenda for Change staff.

Agenda for Change Staff are in their third and final year of a multi-year pay and contract reform deal, 2018/19 to 2020-21, agreed with National Health Service trade unions and employer representatives. The deal has seen the pay of those below the top of their pay band increase by at least 9% and pay for most staff at the top of their pay band increase by 6.5%.

To protect jobs, pay rises in much of the public sector will be paused next year. However, the Government will provide pay rises for over 1 million NHS workers. We will also prioritise the lowest paid, with 2.1 million public sector workers earning less than the full time equivalent £24,000 receiving a minimum £250 increase. This will include a number of NHS staff employed on Agenda for Change contracts. The NHS Pay Review Body will report next year and the Government will take their recommendations into account in setting Agenda for Change pay.