HC Deb 12 December 1989 vol 163 cc549-51W
Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science by how much teachers' pay will have increased less than inflation at the present rate of inflation during the period of time the interim advisory committee has been in existence by March 1990.

Mrs. Rumbold

Teachers' pay rose by some 12.5 per cent. between October 1987 and April 1989, the date of the last teachers' pay settlement. As compared with the movement of the RPI over the same period, this represents a real-terms increase of some 1.5 per cent.

The interim advisory committee has been asked to advise on what pay increase should be awarded to teachers for the 12 months beginning April 1990.

Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much a teacher at the top of the main professional grade will be worse off against the present rate of inflation by March 1990.

Mrs. Rumbold

A teacher at the top of the main scale outside London without an incentive allowance currently earns £14,694. Retail price inflation stood at 7.3 per cent. in October but is expected to fall during next year.

Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much a teacher's pay on the top of the main professional grade with an allowance has increased during the period that the interim advisory committee has existed; and by how much it is below or above the increase in average earnings over the same period.

Mrs. Rumbold

The first incentive allowances were awarded in October 1987. A teacher at the top of the main scale outside London who has held the same incentive allowance since October 1987 would have seen his pay rise by between 11 per cent. and 13 per cent. by April 1989. A teacher who received one of the 70,000 additional allowances coming on stream in 1988 and 1989 would have seen his salary increase by at least 17 per cent. Average earnings increased by 14.2 per cent. between October 1987 and April 1989.

Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what factors were used to determine the £600 million level of constraint placed on the interim advisory committee in the current year; and what projected rate of inflation is included in the figure.

Mrs. Rumbold

The IAC's remit reflects the Government's view that teachers' pay should be sufficient to recruit, retain and motivate sufficient teachers of the right quality within what the nation can afford.

Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the level of constraint on the interim advisory committee in 1988 and 1989 in terms of a percentage rise against those years, inflation rates giving the actual percentage rise for each year and basing the 1989 inflation rate on the present figure.

Mrs. Rumbold

The remits given to the interim advisory committee for the teachers' pay settlements in 1988 and 1989 were £300 million and £385 million respectively. The IAC's recommendations led to increases to the pay bill of 4.75 per cent. in 1988–89 and 6.3 per cent. in 1989–90. When changes already planned are taken into account, the overall pay bill will rise by 7.5 per cent. this year. Retail price inflation stood at 3.9 per cent. in April 1988 and 8 per cent. in April 1989.

Dr. Kim Howells

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will increase the teaching profession's main pay scale to a level that will restore teachers' pay to a competitive position in a graduate labour market.

Mrs. Rumbold

The interim advisory committee has been asked to recommend what general pay increase' should be given to teachers in England and Wales, having, regard to the Government's view that school teachers' pay should be such as to enable the maintained school system to recruit, retain and motivate sufficient teachers of the required quality within what can be afforded.

Dr. Kim Howells

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what measures are to be taken to secure the position of the common main scale as the central feature of the teachers' pay structure.

Mrs. Rumbold

My right hon. Friend is considering what new pay determination arrangements should be put in place. It is likely that the pay structure resulting from these arrangements will continue to be given statutory force.