§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will publish a list in the Official Report showing details of the additional benefits such as use of cars, away from home expenses, pensions, food, uniform, &c., received by those top paid public servants who have recently had their salaries increased, or recommended for increase by the Boyle Committee, and what these benefits are worth in cash payments.
§ 5. Mr. Charles R. MorrisThe information is as follows:
Use of cars:—
- a. Nationalised Industries. This is a matter on which each individual industry may form its own rules which are not subject to Ministerial approval. However the recent report of the Top Salaries Review Body (Cmnd. 5846) provides certain information on this subject in table 12 (page 182).
- b. Higher Civil Servants. In general, official cars are used for journeys which if performed by public transport would be paid for from public funds. The use of an official car therefore represents no cash benefit to civil servants. Officers of the rank of Permanent Secretary have discretion to use official cars for journeys to and from work. The cash benefit would vary according to where the Permanent Secretary concerned resides.
- c. Senior Armed Forces Officers. Similar arrangements as in (b) above.
- d. Judiciary. Members of the higher judiciary may be provided with the use of an official car when travelling fully robed. When
80 on circuit an official car may be provided for journeys between the lodgings and the court and to the railway station and for other necessary journeys. Away from home expenses
- a. Nationalised Industries. Travelling and subsistence expenses incurred directly on the business of the Board are reimbursed from Board funds.
- b. Higher Civil Servants. Fixed allowances, the amounts of which are revised from time to time, are paid at daily rates to cover the cost of living away from home when travelling on official duty and official accommodation is not provided. The current rates for 24 hour absences are £12.35 in London and £11.30 elsewhere. Lower rates apply where the length of stay exceeds 20 nights.
- c. Senior officers of the Armed Forces. Arrangements are the same as in (b) above.
- d. Judiciary. A High Court Judge on circuit is paid an allowance of between £10 and £12 a day (depending on the number of judges accommodated in lodgings) to cover the cost of "housekeeping" (excluding rental, which is not charged) at the lodgings.
Pensions
The various pension benefits are extremely varied and complex but the hon. Member should be able to find all the information he requires in Appendix C to the Top Salaries Review Body report (December 1974).Food
Free food is not normally supplied to any of the groups covered by the report.Uniform
Uniform or an allowance in lieu is not supplied to members of the higher civil service or of the boards of nationalised industries. Senior officers of the Armed Forces do not receive a uniform allowance but may claim income tax allowance for upkeep. Judges receive a single payment of robing allowance on initial appointments as follows:
High Court Judge £850 Circuit Judge Up to £695 against receipted bills.