HC Deb 03 December 1975 vol 901 cc1684-6
23. Mr. Hooson

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out in theOfficial Reportthe last six salary increases awarded to those employed in local government, together with the date of each salary increase and the percentage increase in basic pay on each occasion.

Mr. John Silkin

My right hon. Friend has no responsibility for the negotiation of local government wages and salaries. but I am sure that details of salary increases would be supplied on request to the hon. and learned Member by the Local Authorities' Conditions of Service Advisory Board.

Mr. Hooson

Is it not correct that a high proportion of the enormous increase in local government expenditure over the last few years has been due to salary increases, whereas the Government's economy drive is directed towards cutting down local government services? Does not this result in a much higher salaried service, providing a much more restricted service for the country? What comfort does the right hon. Gentleman derive from that situation?

Mr. Silkin

The whole question of the actual staff and its use, which is implicit in what the hon. and learned Gentleman is saying, needs watching and reviewing. It is for that reason that my right hon. Friend has instituted, with local authorities, the joint watch on staff. When one examines the general increase in staff over the past few years—even forgetting local government reorganisation—one finds that a certain amount of it, if not a great deal, is part-time staff.

Mr. George Cunningham

Given, however, that central Government meet about two-thirds of the cost of local authority salaries and that the cost of those salaries now constitutes a very large part of total public expenditure, is it bearable, in the long run, that central Government should continue to be detached from the process of settling salary levels in local government? Will the Minister give an undertaking that that question will be reviewed?

Mr. Silkin

Central Government have their interest in local authority matters, as my hon. Friend quite rightly says. I do not complain about that. One of the points of contact is the Government's counter-inflation policy, and this is something which local authorities have been loyally observing. But I again emphasise the importance, to my mind, of the joint staff watch and, indeed, of the consultative council—a newer and, I hope, additional relationship between central Government and local government which seems to me to be in the process of emerging.

Mr. Michael Latham

Would not the Prime Minister's remarks about chiefs and Indians in local government be more credible if the national Civil Service had not expanded by more than 11,000 in the last thre months?

Mr. Silkin

The Prime Minister's remarks about chiefs and Indians no doubt have a very much wider implication, even beyond local government. They may even go into private enterprise at times.

Mr. Dan Jones

When the Minister undertakes the review in question, will he be kind enough to tell the House the amount of money spent in relation to the early retirement of those employed by local authorities?

Mr. Silkin

I do not think that I have the figures, but I feel that probably a deal of time could be spent, and perhaps wasted, on this exercise—with great respect to my hon. Friend. What we do know is that a large number of golden handshakes and early retirements took place as a result of the reorganisation of local government by the Conservative Government.