§ Captain Kerbyasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) when the Director of the British Productivity Council reached the maximum salary of £2,500 which that post attracts; what is the present salary of the Deputy-Director; with what Civil Service grade that post broadly compares; and what security of tenure is offered to the senior staff, by contract or otherwise;
(2) to what extent the general increase in salaries, awarded to the Civil Service as a result of the Royal Commission's Report in July, 1956, applied to the staff of the British Productivity Council and was made retrospective to 1st April, 1956;
140W(3) what has been the percentage turnover in clerical staff of the British Productivity Council during the past year; and what degree of access the senior staff have, on a collective and representative basis, to the body which authorises appointments.
§ Sir D. EcclesI would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to Answers given on previous occasions. As regards the present Questions:
- (1) I understand that the present Director at his own request does not receive the maximum salary for his post; the maximum salary of the Deputy-Director is to be increased to £2,500, which compares broadly with that of an Assistant Secretary in the Civil Service;
- (2) the increase in salaries recommended by the Royal Commission applied only to the Civil Service.
The British Productivity Council is composed of highly responsible people, drawn from all sides of industry, in whom I have complete confidence, and I do not require them to consult me on matters of detail.