HC Deb 30 March 1961 vol 637 cc1505-6
18. Mr. Wingfield Digby

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he proposes to take to reduce the disparity between financial rewards in the higher ranks of the public service and outside industry, particularly among technical civil servants and especially with regard to the benefits in kind which are available in outside industry but not in the public service.

Sir E. Boyle

None, Sir. The Standing Advisory Committee on the Pay of the Higher Civil Service reviewed the situation early in 1959 in the light of the principles recommended by the Royal Commission on the Civil Service. The Government accepted their recommendations and there is no reason to think that another review is called for now.

Mr. Wingfield Digby

If the present trend continues, is it not the case that we shall be in danger of losing from the public service the very best people, even taking into account their desire to serve the public and also such questions as honours?

Sir E. Boyle

This is, of course, an important point. On the other hand. I do not believe that this is a field in which any inquiry or commission would be particularly helpful. I think that here we are quite definitely in the range where it is for the Government themselves to take the right decisions in the light of all the facts before them.

Mr. Jay

May we take it that the Government, having decided to pay a very high salary to the Chairman of the Transport Commission, will now pay similar salaries to the heads of the other nationalised industries?

Sir E. Boyle

That goes rather beyond the Question on the Order Paper.

Mr. Houghton

Is the Financial Secretary aware that the higher ranks of the Civil Service first received what were called Priestley increases and next what were called Coleraine increases? May we now expect them to receive Beeching increases?

Sir E. Boyle

I do not think that I will be drawn on that one. Anyone in my present office must have been aware that there was a period when the whole question of salaries in the Civil Service was pretty frequently on the move, to put it no higher than that.