HC Deb 10 May 1956 vol 552 cc1398-9
17. Dr. Stross

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that in 1938 the Chief Inspector of Factories, the Senior Chief Inspector of Education, the Chief Inspector of Mines, and the Chief Inspector of Taxes were in receipt of the same maximum salary; and whether, in his review of the pay of the higher Civil Service, he will return to this principle.

The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Henry Brooke)

The Answer to the first part of the hon. Member's Question is" Yes, Sir "The Answer to the second part is that any changes made in the pay of the higher Civil Service following the receipt of the Report of the Royal Commission on the Civil Service will pay regard to the principles recommended by the Royal Commission.

Dr. Stross

Would not the right hon. Gentleman agree that due regard should be paid to the fact that it is anomalous that now there should be a difference of about £1,500 a year in these scales? When that happens, the scales for the whole of the Factory Inspectorate are depressed, with the result that we have the present position, namely, that recruits are rarely suitably qualified in physics, chemistry or engineering.

Mr. Brooke

I hope that the hon. Member will pay regard to my Answer to his Question. The Royal Commission recommended as a primary principle a fair comparison with outside staffs on broadly comparable work and, as a secondary principle, internal relativities. We must be guided by those.