HC Deb 11 February 1999 vol 325 cc418-9W
Dr. David Clark

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the average percentage increase in salaries of non-industrial civil servants, excluding members of the senior civil service, in his Department for 1998–99; and to what extent the pay awards were staged. [69522]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 9 February 1999]: Since 1996 MAFF has had delegated authority for negotiating pay settlements. For the last pay round the core MAFF settlement included Pesticides Safety Division and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.

The headline pay settlement was 2.7 per cent. on the paybill. Together with the additional funds from staff turnover this settlement allowed performance related increases with an overall cost of 4.2 per cent. and one-off structural changes worth 0.5 per cent. of the paybill.

Pay awards were not staged.

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and food is also responsible for other Executive Agencies with their own negotiating remits. I have asked their Chief Executives to respond direct with information on their pay settlements.

Letter from Peter Stanley to Dr. David Clark, dated 11 February 1999: The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply, in respect of the Central Science Laboratory (CSL), to your question concerning the average percentage increase in salaries of non-industrial civil servants and to what extent the pay awards were staged. Since 1996 CSL has had delegated authority for negotiating pay settlements. CSL operates a performance related pay system which links pay awards to job performance. It is therefore not possible to provide a single average figure which is meaningful. For 1998/99, pay increases for satisfactory performers ranged from 3.5% to 5.4% with a few exceptional performers receiving an additional accelerated pay progression of 6%. For some unsatisfactory performers, no pay increase was received. Pay awards were not staged, being paid in full with effect from 1 August 1998.

Letter from P. W. Greig-Smith to Mr. David Clark, dated 11 February 1999: The Minister has asked me to reply to your question on the average percentage increase in salaries of non-industrial Civil Servants, excluding members of the Senior Civil Service, in his Department for 1998–99 and to what extent the pay awards were staged. I am replying on behalf of the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS). CEFAS operates a performance-related pay system which links pay awards to job performance. It is therefore not possible to provide a single average figure that is meaningful. For 1998/99 the performance pay increases of satisfactory performers ranged from 2.39% to 7.21% with an underpinning minimum increase of 3.00% or £400 whichever was greater. Unsatisfactory performers received no increase. The average 1998/99 pay increase for non-industrials at CEFAS was 4.08%. Payments were not staged, being paid in full with December salaries.

Letter from Sarah Nason to Dr. David Clark, dated 8 February 1999:

Mr. Elliot Morley has asked me to reply, in respect of the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency (FRCA), to your question about the average percentage increase in salaries of non-industrial civil servants, excluding members of the senior civil service in 1998/99, and to what extent the pay awards were staged.FRCA has had delegated authority for negotiating pay settlements since the Agency's launch in April 1997. Payment date within the Agency is 1 August each year. The headline pay settlement for 1998/99 was 2.0% on the paybill and together with the additional funds from staff turnover, staff in post received performance related increases averaging 4.0$. The increases were not staged.

Letter from T. W. A. Little to Dr. David Clark, dated 11 February 1999: The Minister has asked me to reply to your question on the average percentage increase in salaries of non-industrial civil servants, excluding members of the senior civil service, in his Department for 1998–99 and to what extent the pay awards were staged. Since 1996 the VLA has had delegated authority for negotiating pay settlements. The Agency operates a performance related pay system which links pay awards to job performance. For 1998/99 the pay increases for satisfactory performers ranged from 3.5% to 5.5% with a guaranteed cash increase of £400 per annum. Unsatisfactory performers received no pay increase. The average value of the pay increases, including some other improvements to terms and conditions for VLA staff, was 4%. The pay increases were not staged, being paid in full with August 1998 salaries.

Letter from Johnston McNeill to Dr. David Clark, dated 11 February 1999: As Chief Executive of the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) your question to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food enquiring what the average percentage increase in salaries of non-industrial Civil Servants, excluding members of the Senior Civil Service for 1998/99, and to what extent the pay awards were staged, has been passe to me to reply as regards this Executive Agency. The MHS is continuing to discuss its 1998/99 pay deal with UNISON, the trade union which represents meat inspection staff. If the proposed pay deal tabled by the MHS were to be agreed, awards in the MHS would range from 3.65% to 8.4%. The average award would slightly above 3.65%. The pay award would not be staged.