§ 7. Mr. Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire)If he will introduce performance-related pay for Ministers in the Welsh Assembly. [82091]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Mr. Jon Owen Jones)No, but future arrangements will be a matter for the National Assembly.
§ Mr. ÖpikI am confused, and perhaps the Minister can help clarify an apparent contradiction. If he and the Government support the principle of performance-related pay for teachers, why do they not support it for Members and Ministers of the Welsh Assembly?
Mr. JonesI am not surprised that the hon. Gentleman is confused by a typically silly Liberal election gimmick. Before he advocates that gimmick for the Welsh Assembly, he should consider its effect if it were applied here. If we were to assess the performance of Liberal Democrat Members of Parliament, we might find that, since they have achieved nothing since Lloyd George, the Exchequer would save a great deal of money.
§ Mr. Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley)Should not the performance of Labour Ministers in this House since 1997 be looked at carefully by the people of Wales? So many have been let down decisively by the Government in the past two years, whether they be school children, pensioners or students. If we are talking about performance-related pay and if Labour forms the Government in the Welsh Assembly, Labour Members' pay should be cut—certainly nobody else's. What percentage turnout in the election for the Assembly tomorrow will the Minister deem to be successful? If that turnout is below the 50 per cent. turnout for the referendum, will not the £2 million that the Government have spent on advertising the Assembly elections have been wasted, when it could have been spent on services for the people of Wales?
Mr. JonesI am content for the electorate in Wales to judge the performance of Labour Ministers, and to compare that performance with that of Opposition spokesmen. I am sure that the opinion polls will be reflected tomorrow, when we will see what the people of Wales think about the performance of Labour Members in comparison with the pathetic performance of the ranting few on the Opposition Benches.