§ Sir John Biggs-Davisonasked the Prime Minister if she has any further statement to make about the report of the Top Salaries Review Body.
§ The Prime MinisterI informed the House last week that the Government were considering the report of the Top Salaries Review Body on the pay of the higher Civil Service, senior officers of the Armed Forces and the judiciary. I am now able to announce our decisions.
The report recommends increases in the pay of the higher Civil Service and senior officers of the Armed Forces averaging 13 per cent., and for the judiciary 20 per cent., above the levels recommended as appropriate at 1 April 1980.
Because the 1980 recommendations have, for the most part, not been fully implemented, the recommended increases over the salaries currently in payment are somewhat larger: 19.4 per cent. for the Civil Service and the Armed Forces and 24.3 per cent. for the judiciary. In its report the TSRB argues cogently that substantial increases in the salaries of these groups are now justified. The Government agree. It is in the national interest to ensure an adequate supply of candidates of sufficient calibre for appointment to judicial office and to provide an adequate career structure and suitable differentials in the higher reaches of the Civil Service and the Armed Forces. The House will remember that, after many years of restraint, the pay of these groups is still on average 5 per cent. below the levels considered appropriate as long ago
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Top Salaries Review Body Groups: Schedule of New Salaries 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Current salary TSRB recommendation for 1 April 1980 TSRB recommendation for 1 April 1982 New salary Percentage increase over current salary Percentage increase over TSRB 1980 Number in group £ £ £ a. Senior grades of the higher Civil Service Permanent Secretary to the Treasury 35,845 37,000 45,000 42,000 17 14 2 Secretary to the Cabinet Permanent Secretary 33,170 34,000 40,000 37,750 14 11 22 Second Permanent Secretary 30,495 31,000 37,000 35,000 15 13 16 Deputy Secretary 26,215 27,000 32,000 30,250 15 12 141 Under Secretary 21,935 23,500 26,000 25,000 14 6 524 b. Senior officers in the Armed Forces as 1 April 1980. This situation is unique among public servants and, in the Government's view, its continuation would carry unacceptable risks of long-term damage to our ability to attract and retain individuals of the high calibre needed to fill these vital posts.
There are sound management reasons for bringing these salaries up to date quickly and for keeping them up to date in future. But the immediate increases needed for this purpose are large; and, as I announced last week, the Government have felt obliged to cut back the salaries recommended for doctors and dentists in the most recent DDRB report. Accordingly, we have decided that we must ask the TSRB groups also to accept some abatement in their salaries this year. The precise level of abatement o be applied is a matter of judgment. A table showing the conclusions to which the Government have come is appended to this answer. We were particularly concerned with the need to provide adequate pay differentials between the lowest grades of the Civil Service and the Armed Forces covered by the report and their colleagues immediately below them in their respective organisations. For the rest we have applied an abatement of about one-third of the proposed increase at the highest levels in each group and have settled intermediate salaries broadly in line with the pattern of differentials proposed in the review body's report. We recognise that this abatement will be one of the factors to be taken into account by the review body in the course of its next review.
The Government's decisions mean weighted average increases in the salaries of the higher Civil Service and senior officers of the Armed Forces of 8 per cent. above the rates of salary recommended for 1 April 1980 and 14.3 per cent. above the salaries currently in payment. The equivalent figures for the judiciary are 14.5 per cent. and 18.6 per cent. The new rates of salary will come into effect from 1 April 1982. The cost of implementing the Government's proposals will be about £7.5 million. In the case of the Civil Service and the Armed Forces, the increases represent less than 0.05 per cent. of their combined pay bills.
The report of the Top Salaries Review Body has been laid before the House today and will be published as a Command Paper shortly. Copies in typescript are now available in the Vote Office.
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Current salary TSRB recommendation for 1 April 1980 TSRB recommendation for 1 April 1982 New salary Percentage increase over current salary Percentage increase over TSRB 1980 Number in group £ £ £ Admiral of the Fleet 35,845 37,000 45,000 42,000 17 14 1 Field Marshal Marshal of the Royal Air Force Admiral 33,170 34,000 40,000 37,750 14 11 20 General Air Chief Marshal Vice-Admiral 26,215 27,000 32,000 30,250 15 12 37 Lieutenant General Air Marshal Medical Rear Admiral 23,005 23,500 26,000 25,000 9 6 17 Medical Major General Medical Air Vice-Marshal Rear Admiral 21,935 23,500 26,000 25,000 14 6 141 Major General Air Vice-Marshal c. Judiciary Lord Chief Justice 44,500 43,000 56,000 52,500 18 22 1 Mater of the Rolls 41,000 40,000 51,500 48,250 18 21 11 Lord of Appeal Lord President of the Court of Session (Scotland) Lord Chief Justice (Northern Ireland) 39,000 38,500 50,000 47,000 21 22 2 President of the Family Division Lord Justice of Appeal 37,500 36,500 48,500 45,500 21 25 22 Lord Justice Clerk (Scotland) Lord Justice of Appeal (Northern Ireland) Vice-Chancellor 37,500 36,000 48,500 45,500 21 26 1 High Court Judge 35,000 35,000 45,000 42,500 21 21 99 Judge of the Court of Session (Scotland) Puisne Judge (Northern Ireland) President, Lands Tribunal (England and Wales) 25,500 26,000 31,500 30,000 18 15 4 President, Transport Tribunal Chief Social Security Commissioner (England and Wales and Scotland) President, Industrial Tribunals (England and Wales) President, Industrial Tribunals (Scotland) 24,750 25,250 30,500 29,000 17 15 9 Sheriff Principal (Scotland) Chairman, Scottish Land Court President, Lands Tribunal (Scotland) Official Referee (London) 24,500 24,500 30,500 29,000 18 18 10 Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster Recorder of Liverpool Recorder of Manchester Senior Circuit Judge, Newington Causeway Recorder of Belfast (Northern Ireland) President of the Lands Tribunal (Northern Ireland)* Chief Social Security Commisssioner (Northern Ireland)*
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Current salary TSRB recommendation for 1 April 1980 TSRB recommendation for 1 April 1982 New salary Percentage increase over current salary Percentage increase over TSRB 1980 Number in group £ £ £ Circuit Judge 23,250 24,000 29,000 27,750 19 16 385 Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Member, Lands Tribunal (England and Wales and Scotland) Social Security Commissioner (England and Wales and Scotland) Judge Advocate General Sheriff A (Scotland) County Court Judge (Northern Ireland) Master of the Court of Protection Senior and Chief Masters and Registrars of the Supreme Court Registrar of Criminal Appeals President, Industrial Tribunal (Northern Ireland)* Member, Lands Tribunal (Northern Ireland)* Social Security Commissioner (Northern Ireland)* Sheriff B (Scotland) 23,250 23,500 29,000 27,750 19 18 56 Regional Chairmen, Industrial Tribunals (England and Wales and Scotland) 22,750 23,500 27,000 25,750 13 10 17 Chairman, Foreign Compensation Commission Vice-Judge Advocate General 22,000 22,500 27,000 25,750 17 14 1 Masters and Registrars of the Supreme Court 20,750 22,500 25,000 24,000 16 7 181 Metropolitan Magistrate Chairmen, Industrial Tribunals (England and Wales and Scotland) Provincial Stipendiary Magistrate Resident Magistrate (Northern Ireland)* Chairman, Industrial Tribunal (Northern Ireland)* Master, Supreme Court (Northern Ireland)* County Court Registrars and District Registrars of the High Court 20,500 22,000 25,000 24,000 17 9 153 Note:
* These appointments were added to the remit after report No. 14. The salaries shown for the appointments in column 2 are those recommended in report No. 16 in 1 April 1980 terms.