§ 48. Mr. A. Royleasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now make a further statement about increases in the salaries of probation officers.
§ Mr. RentonAs my right hon. Friend explained in the debate on 10th May, the Joint Negotiating Committee for the Probation Service were informed that, on the basis of the White Paper on Incomes Policy, he would not at this stage be justified in approving any increase which exceeded 2½per cent., although the Government were in no doubt that the probation service ought to receive a substantial increase of pay at the appropriate time and were prepared to examine its claims at the beginning of next year. The Joint Negotiating Committee informed my right hon. Friend on 9th May that they had agreed that probation officers of all ranks should receive an increase of 10 per cent., with effect from 1st April, 1962. on the understanding that the recommendations of the Morison Committee140W would be examined early next year. The Government have carefully considered the arguments that the Committee have adduced in support of the agreement, but they regret that they have been unable to find grounds for departing from their previous view. The Committee are accordingly being informed that my right hon. Friend proposes to make rules giving an increase, with effect from 1st April last, of 2½ per cent., and that he is ready to examine the wider claims of the service at the beginning of 1963.