To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many individuals in senior administrative roles in all NHS bodies in the East of England were paid (a) over £100,000 and (b) over £150,000 in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2007. (175273)

The Department does not collect details on the pay of individuals across the whole national health service.

Very senior managers (chief executives and board level directors) in strategic and special health authorities, primary care trusts and ambulance trusts are paid under the “Pay Framework for very senior managers in strategic and special health authorities, primary care trusts and ambulance trusts”, published in July 2006, a copy of which is available in the Library. This does not apply to other NHS trusts (acute, mental health, care and foundation trusts), but they are free to adopt the principles of the arrangements.

Under the Framework, senior executives are paid a spot rate salary (£55,838 to £196,704), with the provision of payments of recruitment and retention premia (of up to 30 per cent. of the spot rate salary) and additional duties (up to 10 per cent. of the spot rate salary) where appropriate.

NHS organisations are public bodies and as such, the pay of their senior executive teams is a matter of public record, published in their annual accounts.