To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reasons money owed by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) to its staff is being withheld; what amount of money is owed by NIAS to its staff; how many NIAS staff are affected; and when the money is expected to be paid. (100950)

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) is not withholding any money owed to staff. In line with Departmental guidance the Service is currently progressing a 2.5 per cent. uplift in staff salaries, backdated to 1 April 2006, which will be paid in December 2006 salaries. This is to compensate staff still on Whitley pay scales who have not yet been assigned to Agenda for Change (AfC) pay scales.

The implementation date for the introduction of the AfC pay scales was 1 October 2004, The matching and assimilation of ambulance service posts and pay scales under AfC is not yet complete and therefore the basic salaries of staff have yet to be determined. All Health and Social Services Trusts throughout Northern Ireland have been tasked with completing the job matching process by March 2007. When the new salary scales are agreed any arrears due will be backdated to 1 October 2004.

In recognition that staff had entitlement to new terms and conditions of employment under AfC from 1 October 2004, NIAS has been making stage payments for unsociable hours. The next stage payment, due in January 2007, will be for unsociable hours worked from 1 April to 31 December and will apply to some 700 staff.