HC Deb 23 January 1973 vol 849 cc211-2
25. Mr. John Grant

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about his meeting during the recess with the Customs and Excise Departmental Whitley Council to discuss departmental morale, problems arising from the introduction of value added tax, the effect of the pay freeze and other matters.

Mr. Barber

I saw representatives of the Staff Side of Customs and Excise Departmental Whitley Council on 10th January and I took note of their views.

Mr. Grant

Will the Chancellor acknowledge that, contrary to the impression he gave not long ago, morale in the Department of Customs and Excise is very unsatisfactory and that there is gross overworking, mainly because of EEC entry, the implications of VAT and the grossly unfair treatment of the Civil Service in the current freeze? Is he not setting the worst possible example as an employer?

Mr. Barber

I do not think so. I appreciate the concern of those who came to see me about the pay standstill but I hope that they, like the public at large, will recognise the justification for what the Government are doing. We had a very useful discussion covering a variety of matters.

Mr. Eadie

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that the House is not impressed with the so-called fairness with which he claims to have treated the Civil Service? Is he aware that the pensions of civil servants on the eve of retirement will suffer as a consequence of the freeze? Does he think that that is fair?

Mr. Barber

The problem is an obvious one. When one imposes a standstill one does one's best to make it as fair as possible between one group of employees and another, and this we have done.

Mr. Ridsdale

I support my right hon. Friend's policy, but I ask him to look closely into this matter because some of the lower-paid civil servants who work alongside people who are making much more money are having to work overtime, and there is justification for the hard feelings that some of them have.

Mr. Barber

I note what my hon. Friend says, but I cannot support any proposal which would result in different treatment—other than what we have laid down—for those individuals about whom he is speaking during the standstill.

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