HC Deb 17 December 1976 vol 922 cc864-9W
Mr. Norman Fowler

asked the Minister for the Civil Service (1) whether he will set out details of those civil servants and public employees to whom London allowance is paid, giving (a) the numbers involved and (b) breaking down the total between Government Departments;

(2) whether he will set out the annual cost of the London allowance breaking down the total between Government Departments.

Mr. Charles R. Morris

I can answer only for the Civil Service. The accompanying table gives, by Department, the numbers of non-industrial civil servants working in inner and outer London on 1st January 1976, together with the annual cost of paying these numbers the appropriate London weighting allowances—inner London £465, outer £275. Comparable figures for industrial civil servants are not centrally available and could not be collected in time. But on 1st January 1975, 6,928 industrial civil servants worked in inner London and 12,402 in outer London. Assuming that these numbers were paid the current rates of London weighting, introduced on 1st July 1975, the annual costs would be £3,221,520 for inner London and £3,410,550 for outer London, giving a total for industrial civil servants of £6,632,070.

NON-INDUSTRIAL CIVIL SERVANTS ELIGIBLE FOR LONDON WEIGHTING AND WORKING IN LONDON ON 1ST JANUARY 1976, AND THE ANNUAL COST OF LONDON WEIGHTING ALLOWANCES FOR THESE NUMBERS
Inner London Outer London Total
Department Numbers Cost Numbers Cost Numbers Cost
£ £ £
Cabinet Office 668 310,620 2 550 670 311,170
Charity Commission 220 102,300 1 275 221 102,575
Civil Service Department 1,891 879,315 602 165,550 2,493 1,044,865
Government Actuary 66 30,690 66 30,690
Royal Mint 88 40,920 88 40,920
National Debt Office 64 29,760 64 29,760
Paymaster General's Office 4 1,860 4 1,860
Privy Council 47 21,855 47 21,855
Public Record Office 366 170,190 34 9,350 400 179,540
Office of Manpower Economics 19 8,835 1 275 20 9,110
Civil Service Pay Research Unit 39 18,135 39 18,135
Treasury 1,091 507,315 27 7,425 1,118 514,740
Lord Chancellor's Office 3,156 1,467,540 751 206,525 3,907 1,674,065
Office of Fair Trading 272 126,480 13 3,575 285 130,055
Northern Ireland Office 164 76,260 164 76,260
Ministry of Defence 16,584 7,711,560 11,500 3,162,500 28,084 10,874,060
Passport Office 295 137,175 58 15,950 353 153,125
Land Registry 157 73,005 951 261,525 1,108 334,530
Law Officers Department 16 7,440 16 7,440
Home Office* 6,124 2,847,660 3,656 1,005,400 9,780 3,853,060
Treasury Solicitor 416 193,440 7 1,925 423 193,365
Department of the Director of Public Prosecution 183 85,095 183 85,085
Public Trustee Office 465 216,225 465 216,225
Department of the Environment (including PSA) 11,010 5,119,650 6,878 1,891,450 17,889 7,011,100
Lord Advocate's Department 16 7,440 16 7,440
Department of Employment Group 6,098 2,835,570 3,701 1,017,775 9,799 3,853,345
Inner London Outer London Total
Department Numbers Cost Numbers Cost Numbers Cost
£ £ £
Department of Education and Science, Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum 2,848 1,324,320 191 52,525 3,039 1,376,845
Registry of Friendly Societies 117 54,405 117 54,405
Office of Population Censuses and Surveys 985 458,025 3 825 988 458,850
Department of Health and Social Services 9,997 4,648,605 6,998 1,924,450 16,995 6,573,055
Intervention Board 16 7,440 2 550 18 7,990
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 2,578 1,198,770 837 230,175 3,415 1,428,945
Ordnance Survey 187 86,955 103 28,325 290 115,280
Crown Estate Office 70 32,550 70 32,550
Export Credit Guarantees Department 1,629 757,485 69 18,975 1,698 776,460
Department of Energy 841 391,065 29 7,975 870 399,040
DTI Group (Trade, Industry and PCP) 10,262 4,771,830 1,632 448,800 11,924 5,220,630
HMSO 998 464,070 148 40,700 1,146 504,770
Customs and Excise 6,744 3,135,960 1,362 374,550 8,106 3,510,510
Inland Revenue 7,962 3,702,330 7,518 2,067,450 15,480 5,769,780
Department of National Savings 1,549 720,285 137 37,675 1,686 757,960
Central Office of Information 1,110 516,150 67 18,425 1,177 534,575
Welsh Office 48 22,320 48 22,320
Foreign and Commonwealth Office 3,250 1,511,250 3,250 1,511,250
Ministry of Overseas Development 1,683 782,595 521 143,275 2,204 925,870
Scottish Office 48 22,320 48 22,320
Totals 102,441 47,635,065 47,799 13,144,725 150,240 60,779,790
* The figures attributed to the Home Office overstate the cost because they include—in the prison service—the only identifiable group of civil servants who do not receive the allowance either in full or at all because they do not incur the relevant costs.

Mr. Norman Fowler

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will set out the current terms and aims of the London allowance.

Mr. Charles R. Morris

London weighting is paid to civil servants employed in London other than Permanent Secretaries, Deputy Secretares and equivalent grades. The rates, last revised on 1st July 1975, are £465 for inner London—within five miles of Charing Cross—and £275 for outer London, between five and 18 miles from Charing Cross plus certain additions. Since 1974 the allowance has been based on recommendations made in Advisory Report No. 4 by the Pay Board, which considered that its basic justification was to ensure comparability of real earnings for people working in London and elsewhere. London weighting is thus intended to compensate for the higher costs of travel, housing and other items as well as for the wear and tear of travel and for lower housing standards.