§ Mr. Ridleyasked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will publish a timetable of the negotiations with the trade unions involved in central Government, in a typical year.
§ Mr. Charles R. MorrisThere are a wide variety of negotiations between trade unions and central Government on many subjects. As far as Civil Service pay is concerned, settlements for the bulk of the non-industrial Civil Service have normally in the past been based on pay162W research evidence. The timetable for pay research laid down in the 1974 Pay Agreement provides for an operative date of 1st April and for the Pay Research Unit to deliver its reports by mid-November the previous year. Analysis of the reports and negotiations are completed by about mid-March, taking into account information on changes in pay rates and benefits provided by the Pay Research Unit up to the beginning of February. In the case of the industrial Civil Service, the operative date is 1st July. Claims are usually tabled in March and negotiations take place in the intervening period.