CAB128-94_A1b — Page 165

1. The Cabinet were informed of the business to be taken in the House of Commons and the House of Lords in the following week.

THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL said that the

arrangements envisaged should enable Government business to

completed in time for Parliament to prorogue on 16

The State Opening of the new session would take Place on 21 November.

Cabinet -

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CONFIDENTIAL

PARLIAMEN

AFFAIRS

HOME AFFAIRS

Industrial Action in the Ambulance Service

Previous

Reference:

CC(89) 31.2

2. THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR HEALTH said that there had been relatively tew developments in the industrial action by ambulance statin the previous week. The Unions were now maintaining accident and emergency services and focussing their action on the non-emergency services, with the result that staff were doing less and less work but still drawing full pay They were also being drawn into making dangerous judgements about what constituted emergency and non-emergency cases. In London about 50% of the normal number of patients were being carried. This was not acceptable from the Management's point of view, particularly as National Health Service (NHS) resources were having to be used to provide alternative transport for patients. Patients who needed treatment were not receiving it and valuable hospital facilities were not being fully utilised. For these reasons, the management of the Ambulance Service was considering stopping the pay of those staff involved in the dispute who were not working normally. A decision by South Yorkshire Health Authority to stop the pay of those refusing to carry non-emergency patients had quickly resulted in a resumption of previous working patterns. There was a slight risk that a firm response of this kind by the Ambulance Managers would lead to sympathy action affecting the accident and emergency service. He was discussing with the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Armed Forces should be placed) on 24- hour stand-by against this possibility.

ONFIDENTIAL

General Practitioners Remuneration

Previous Reference:

OC(89) 15.2

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR HEALTH said that the Parliamentary debate the previous evening on the

Regulations on new contracts for General Practitioners had gone very well. There was as yet no pressure for a debate on the parallel Scottish regulations. With the long- running dispute about the new contract now resolved,

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CONFIDENTIAL

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