Teachers (Salaries) (Hansard, 15 December 1961)

§ Mr. Maclay

On 22nd Nevember the National Joint Council represented to me that from 1st January, 1962, when the proposals of the Burnham Committee will come into operation in England and Wales, an overall comparison of the salaries of Scottish teachers with those of English teachers would be unfavourable to the Scottish teachers and in particular that teachers on Scales V and VI would be at a disadvantage as compared with those on the nearest equivalent scales in England and Wales. It accordingly recommended increases of £10 at each point of Scales V and VI and the extension of the maxima of these scales by two increments of £30.

I have not found it possible to accept this recommendation. The reply sent on my behalf to the Council today is as follows: I am directed by the Secretary of State to refer to your letter of 27th November in which you conveyed a recommendation from the National Joint Council for an upward revision of Scales V and VI of the Teacher's Salary Regulations. The Secretary of State has asked me to say that, after careful examination of the issues involved, he is unable to accept the recommendation. In July of this year, Scottish teachers as a whole received a substantial increase in salaries, and at that time the Secretary of State gave very careful thought to the question of how the increase should be distributed over the various groups within the profession, having regard, among other things, to the staffing position. While the award then made increased some of the differentials between one scale and another, it also benefited all teachers, including those paid under Scales V and VI. It was not to be expected that the separate, and subsequent, settlement for England and Wales would result in salaries identical with those awarded in Scotland—some were higher and some were lower. The Secretary of State does not consider that he would be justified in reducing differentials 98W which were deliberately devised to meet Scottish needs because other considerations have prevailed in different circumstances elsewhere. On these grounds alone the Secretary of State would feel unable to accept the Council's recommendation, even if the Government had not, in the national interest called for a pause in all wage and salary increases.