§ 8. Mr. Beithasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement about the outcome of the police pay negotiations.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsAt a meeting of the Police Council on 4th June agreement was reached on new pay scales for all ranks up to and including chief superintendent. From 1st September 1975 the basic pay of a constable will be £2,400 and that of a long-serving constable £3,402. Chief superintendents in London will receive a maximum of £7,860. The new pay scales reflect substantial improvements at all levels and correct a number of long-standing anomalies in the pay structure. I hope that this settlement will help to maintain the recent welcome improvements in the trend of police manpower figures.
§ Mr. BeithI thank the Home Secretary for giving those details to the House and I recognise that this settlement must, like others, be taken in the context of our economic difficulties, but does he realise that there is still unease and dissatisfaction among policemen? Does he know that many police forces, including the Metropolitan force and provincial forces like the Northumbria force, are paying out in overtime large sums of money that would be better spent on ensuring the recruitment and retention of forces up to establishment, with the forces working reasonable hours?
§ Mr. JenkinsI note the hon. Gentleman's last point. The average increase is 29.8 per cent., which is as much as it would be easy to justify in present circumstances. It is not possible to say that we are against excessive pay increases except for one particular example that we have before us at the time. The increases vary between 24 per cent. and 41 per cent. They deal with the anomaly of promotion from chief inspector, in which grade overtime is paid, to superintendent, 1655 to which my attention had been drawn. It gives constables a starting salary which, while no doubt on present standards is not munificent, is not derisory, and gives them the opportunity to move up reasonably rapidly. I never claim that any settlement is perfect, and I never expect the police to accept it as such, but in all the circumstances it is not an unreasonable settlement.
§ Mr. SpriggsThe proposed increase for a constable is nearly £10 a week. Will my right hon. Friend compare that offer with the offer made to the NUR for the lowest-paid railwaymen and advise my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister about the outcome of the comparison?
§ Mr. JenkinsNo, Sir. I am dealing with police settlements, and in answering a question about that it would be wrong for me to make general statements about other pay claims which are pending. The police settlement has been negotiated and accepted, and I have given the House as much detail as I can about it.