Pay

HC Deb 25 January 1977 vol 924 cc582-3W

Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many civil servants receive wages/salaries which are less than the FIS entitlement level, assuming that they have (a) two dependent children, (b) three dependent children and (c) four dependent children.

Mr. Charles R. Morris

The current prescribed amounts for family income supplement, effective from 20th July 1976, for families with two, three and four dependent children are, respectively, £43.50 per week, £48 per week and £52.50 per week. At current pay rates, about 25 per cent. of full-time non-industrial civil servants have pensionable pay of less than £43.50 per week; about 35 per cent. have pensionable pay of less than £48 per week; and about 45 per cent. have pensionable pay of less than £52.50 per week. Some of these civil servants are, however, on salary scales which progress to maxima well above these points.

There were 558,898 full-time non-industrial civil servants in post on 1st October 1976.

This information does not take account of other details of family circumstances, such as total family income which are essential for any assessment of eligibility for family income supplement. Pensionable pay excludes overtime earnings and certain other fluctuating emoluments.

Mr. Pardoe

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will estimate the total Civil Service salary bill in 1975 and 1976; and how much of the increase was due to automatic graded increases.

Mr. Charles R. Morris

The provision made in the Supply Estimates for wages and salaries of United Kingdom-based civil servants for 1975–76 and 1976–77 was £2,543 million and £2,697 million respectively. Both figures exclude staff in the trading funds for whom there is no Estimate, and the 1976–77 figure excludes the Winter and Spring Supplementary Estimates which have not yet been fully analysed. As the hon. Member knows from the White Paper "The Attack on Inflation" (Cmnd 6151) the TUC guidelines make specific provision for the payment of automatic increments provided that this does not raise the overall wage bill by more than the pay policy allows. I am satisfied that their continued payment has been consistent with the provisions of the White Paper.