HC Deb 25 October 1973 vol 861 cc632-3W
Mr. Michael Cocks

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance has been issued by his Department to new local authorities regarding staffing complements and the appointment of chief officers and their salaries.

Mr. Graham Page

Certain advice about chief officer appointments is contained in the Bains Report which the then Secretary of State commended to local authorities on its publication last year, and the Local Government Staff Commission for England has since issued more detailed advice about the methods of recruitment and appointment of chief officers by the new authorities. With the exception of some general advice about certain scarce professional staff, notably architects and planners, no advice has been issued by my Department on either staffing complements or chief officer appointments.

The determination of salaries for chief officers is a matter for the local authorities—which operate collectively through the Local Authorities' Conditions of Service Advisory Board—and, in present circumstances, the Pay Board. No advice on this subject has therefore been issued by my Department.

In recent speeches I have drawn the attention of the new authorities to the need to act responsibly and economically in all these matters.

Mr. Michael Cocks

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which new local authorities have appointed chief officers and principal officers; at what salaries; how many of the persons appointed were already in local government service; what their positions were; and what their salaries were.

Mr. Graham Page

Appointments of chief executives have been made by all the new county councils and metropolitan districts in England and by about 95 per cent. of the non-metropolitan districts, but there have been one or two subsequent withdrawals by selected candidates. Accurate figures for other chief officer appointments are not available, but substantial numbers of such appointments have been made. Agreements by the appropriate negotiating bodies on recommended salary scales for chief executives and chief officers have recently been approved by the Pay Board and the board is keeping under review the implementation of these agreements in individual cases. As far as I am aware, all such appointments to date have been made from within the local government service but information as to the previous positions and salaries of those appointed is not available.