§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will make a statement on his recent decision regarding the offer of an 8 per cent. pay award to civil servants; on what basis this offer was made; to what extent it was related to the increase granted to the higher paid civil servants; and, as this offer has been refused by the trade unions concerned, if he will refer the dispute to the same committee as investigated and reported on a cumulative 62.2 per cent. increase to the higher paid civil servants, judges and chairmen of nationalised boards.
§ Mr. David HowellThe 8 per cent. increase in present pay rates offered to certain non-industrial civil servants from 1st January, 1971, is an interim increase between substantive settlements. The claim has now been referred, in accordance with the agreed procedures, to the Civil Service Arbitration Tribunal. These staff last received an increase from 1st January, 1970, while the previous increases for the chairmen of nationalised industry boards and the higher Civil Service were given in 1964 and 1965 respectively.