HC Deb 16 March 1981 vol 1 cc47-8W
Mr. Kilfedder

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any additional duties or responsibilities have been given to senior assistant secretaries in Northern Ireland.

Mr. Alison

The grades of deputy secretary and senior assistant secretary in the Northern Ireland Civil Service have been merged into one grade of under secretary on grounds of efficiency and because it was no longer possible to differentiate between levels of responsibility in the two grades. The merger has not therefore resulted in any diminution of, or increase in, the duties or responsibilities for the post holders in either of the two obsolescent grades; and it has shortened the chain of command.

Mr. Kilfedder

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the recent increase of £400 per annum granted to senior assistant secretaries will be taken into account in the negotiations for an overall increase in the salaries of Northern Ireland civil servants in 1981; or whether the application of the 6 per cent. cash limitation excludes senior civil servants.

Mr. Alison

There are no exemptions in the cash limit for senior civil servants. This includes officers in the former grade of senior assistant secretary in the Northern Ireland Civil Service which is now designated as under secretary.

Mr. Kilfedder

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he proposes to change the names of grades in the Northern Ireland Civil Service in order to award increased salaries in line with the salaries of the equivalent grades in Great Britain.

Mr. Alison

No. Salaries in the Northern Ireland Civil Service are already in line with the salaries of the equivalent grades in Great Britain.

Mr. Kilfedder

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any of the senior assistant secretaries are to be retired in order to enable the Civil Service to achieve its target of a redundancy of 1,600 before 1984.

Mr. Alison

I have no redundancy target for the Northern Ireland Civil Service. Senior assistant secretaries in the Northern Ireland Civil Service are now designated as under secretaries and there is no proposal at present for the premature retirement of officers in this grade.