HC Deb 13 April 1978 vol 947 cc513-4W
Mr. Mike Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what pay settlement has been made for teachers in institutions of further education in England and Wales; and if she will make a statement.

Mrs. Shirley Williams

The Burnham Further Education Committee reached an agreement, subject to the normal process of ratification, at a meeting on Monday 10th April 1978. The agreement, to affect salary scales from 1st April 1978, is within the Government's guidelines and involves a 9.6 per cent. increase on all scales after consolidation of phase 1 and phase 2 supplements, and other adjustments including the addition of £312 and increments at the points affected under phase 1 of pay policy by the cut-off at the £8,500 pay level, and other detailed adjustments including an increase in the proportion of Lecturers II engaged in lower category academic work and the progression up one more point of the incremental scale for senior lecturers doing a large proportion of category 3 work.

The Teachers' Panel attached importance to the relativities established by the Houghton Committee in 1974. The Management Panel confirmed its commitment to the principles enunciated in the Houghton Report but stated that the speed with which a move was made in any particular year had to depend on the economic

with that of the rest of the United Kingdom.

Mr. Concannon

The total number of days lost as a result of industrial stoppages in Northern Ireland and in Great Britain during the years 1969 to 1977 inclusive, together with a comparison based on the number of days lost per thousand employees, were as follows:

situation at the time. It agreed to establish a joint working party with the teachers to examine the movement of salary relativities with a view to reporting prior to the next negotiations. The Government representatives on the Management Panel formally entered a reservation in the committee on any question of a forward commitment. The Government do not repudiate the Houghton Report relativities but their implementation must be subject to pay policy and the economic situation at the relevant time.