Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to fully fund the proposed pay award for Agenda For Change NHS Staff for all affected organisations; and if he will make a statement.

The Chancellor was explicit that additional funding, above that already factored into the 2015 Spending Round, was tied to extensive reforms to the Agenda for Change contract for staff employed in National Health Service organisations to help improve recruitment, retention, increase capacity and improve productivity.

The proposed Agenda for Change pay framework, which includes contract reform and pay awards over three years, is currently out to consultation with the NHS trades unions and the outcome will be known in early June.

We are considering the impact of the agreement on non-NHS organisations that may be affected by the proposed deal, however no decisions have been made.