HC Deb 19 March 1979 vol 964 c450W
Mr. Kinnock

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if, in view of Her Majesty's Government's refusal to act upon the recommendations of the Pay Research Unit in respect of Civil Service salaries, he will now abandon this procedure as a means of arranging Civil Service pay and make a statement about alternative means of determining salaries.

Mr. Charles R. Morris

The Government have agreed to implement the pay research based settlements from 1 April 1979 negotated with the unions; the settlements will be staged, with the details of the staging subject to negotiation. Against this background I see no need for a statement about alternative means of determining salaries.

Mr. Wrigglesworth

asked the Minister for the Civil Service by how much a 25 per cent. increase in Civil Service pay would increase public expenditure in a full year.

Mr. Charles R. Morris

A 25 per cent. increase in pay for the main non-industrial Civil Service settlement group would increase its paybill by about £550 million in a full year, excluding employers' national insurance.