§ Mr. Shersbyasked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he is aware that the high level of salaries being offered to young graduates and others entering the Civil Service and the nationalised industries is causing considerable alarm to private industry and commerce; and if he will take steps to ensure that salaries offered to those entering the public service are not higher than those paid for comparable posts in the private sectors.
§ Mr. Charles R. MorrisI am aware of recent suggestions that public sector starting salaries for graduates are out of line with those paid by industry. There seems, however, to be some misunderstanding of the position. So far as the Civil Service is concerned, I would refer the hon. Member to the figure quoted in the Annual Report of the University of Manchester Appointments Board of £2,350 as the average figure for the private sector—significantly excepting banking and chartered accountancy—and the range of £2,500–£2,600 quoted by the Director of the Central Services Unit for University and Polytechnic Careers and Appointments Services in theThe Times newspaper of 11th December 1975. The figure for the average starting salary of a 1975 graduate entry is not available, but the national starting salary for a graduate entering the Civil Service at age 22 as an executive officer is £2,255 or £2,395 if he enters as an administration trainee after an intensely competitive examination.