§ Mr. Sproatasked the Minister for the Civil Service, further to his answer to the 655W hon. Member for Fife, Central (Mr. Hamilton) on 15th May 1978, Official Report, column 22, how many industrial civil servants are on a basic wage of £32 a week; and how many have a take-home pay of that order.
§ Mr. Charles R. MorrisThe lowest rate of pay received by any industrial civil servant working a full 40-hour week is £41, made up of £32.50 basic pay plus pay settlements of £6 and £2.50. About 23,000 industrial civil servants receive this minimum rate of pay. Almost all of these also receive additional pay under productivity schemes; those who do not have declined to participate in appropriate agreements.
The number of industrial civil servants whose take-home pay is £32 a week is not readily available. Taking account of income tax, national insurance and contributions paid for dependants' benefits under the Civil Service superannuation arrangements, single persons on the lowest rate of pay of £41 a week would have take-home pay of that order.
§ Mr. Knoxasked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he is satisfied that there has been no breach of the pay guidelines in respect of the remuneration of employees of the Inland Revenue.
§ Mr. Charles R. MorrisYes. The pay of Inland Revenue staff is covered as part of settlements for the Civil Service as a whole, and I am satisfied that since the introduction of the Government's counter-inflation policy these settlements have been in accordance with the pay guidelines in operation at the time.