§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister for the Civil Service (1) whether he will publish in the Official Report a detailed list of public servants in receipt of £135 or more per week;
(2) whether he will publish the actual number or estimate of persons being paid out of Government or Treasury funds
Salary (maximum of scale) Grade 1st October 1974 1st October 1977 Increase £pw £pw percentage Cleaner … … … … 25.30 39.00 54.2 Messenger … … … … 28.05 43.15 53.8 Typist/Typist I … … … … 29.25 45.80 56.6 Duplicator Operator … … … … 29.25 45.80 56.6 Paperkeeper … … … … 29.50 45.80 55.3 Similar details for the five highest national rates of pay are:—
Salary Grade or Pay Point 1st October 1974 £pa 1st October 1977 £pa Increase percentage Permanent Secretary … 17,496.16 20,383.80 16.5 16,496.16 18,883.80 14.5 2nd Permanent Secretary … 15,496.16 17,383.80 12.2 Unified Intermediate Pay Point (Upper) … 13,346.16 15,308.80 14.7 Deputy Secretary … 11,246.16 14,208.80 26.3 All salaries quoted are national rates, excluding overtime and allowances. The 1st October 1974 figures include cost of living supplements and the 1st October 88W who were on 1st November 1977 in receipt of salaries of £135 or more per week.
§ Mr. Charles R. MorrisThe only individual records of salaries and expenses which are held by my Department are of civil servants' basic pay and other pensionable emoluments. On 1st July 1977, the latest date for which information is available, there were 23,000 civil servants, or rather less than one in 30, whose basic pay and other pensionable emoluments totalled £135 or more a week. Pay rates of all Civil Service grades are given in the Civil Service Pay and Conditions of Service Code which is available in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will publish in the Official Report a table of figures showing to what extent the five highest paid groups of civil servants in October 1974 and the five lowest paid have had their standard of living improved or reduced up to October 1977, taking account of any salary increases and the rise or fall in the purchasing value of the £ sterling and the cost of living.
§ Mr. Charles R. MorrisThe details requested for the five general service grades with the lowest national salary maxima on 1st October 1974 are as follows:
1977 figures include appropriate pay supplements.
The increase in the Retail Price Index from October 1974 to September 1977, 89W the latest available figure, was 64.05 per cent. which is greater than the salary increases for any of the above grades.
§ Mr. Thorneasked the Minister for the Civil Service whether the principle of fair comparisons as the basis for negotiating Civil Service pay, as introduced by the Priestley Royal Commission in 1955 and subsequently supported by every Government since then, falls within the present pay policy.
§ Mr. Charles R. MorrisThe Government are committed to the principle of fair comparisons and are currently discussing certain changes in the pay research system with the National Staff Side. The guidance on pay set out in the White Paper "The Attack on Inflation after 31 July 1977" (Cmnd. 6882) applies equally to the public and private sectors.