§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will make a statement about recent changes in the rules relating to advances of salary available to civil servants who have to move their homes when they are transferred to a new place of work.
§ Mr. Robert SheldonNegotiations have recently been concluded with the Staff Side of the Civil Service National Whitley Council on modifications to the rules relating to reimbursement of expenses incurred by non-industrial civil servants on 143W transfer in the public interest to a different place of work. The changes are designed to meet more effectively the expenses which may be incurred by an officer who is obliged to move home following a transfer and to take into account criticisms of the previous terms which were made in the Hardman Report on the dispersal of Government work from London (Cmnd 5322). It has been decided to extend the existing scheme for granting an advance of salary for house purchase, in cases where this is shown to be necessary to enable someone to buy a house, so as to permit an advance of up to six months' pay—plus £500 for those transferred into London—in place of the previous limit of four months' pay—plus £500 for those transferred to London. There is an overall limit of £3,500—£4,000 for those transferred into London—on the sum which may be advanced.