§ Mr. Evelyn Kingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the present salaries of the chairman and chief executive of the Wessex water authority; on what dates during the last three years they were increased and by what percentage; and if he is satisfied that such increases are within the Government guidelines.
§ Mr. Denis HowellThe salary paid to the Chairman of the Wessex water authority, on the basis of a two and a hall days a week time input, is £6,208.
He has received two increases in salary since 1975. but his time input has remained unchanged. With effect from 1st August 1976 there was an increase of 2 per cent. in line with stage 2 of the counter-inflation policy, and as from 1st January 1978 an increase of 10 per cent. in accordance with the Government's decision on the recommendations in report no 10 of the Top Salaries Review Body. These increases are within the Government's guidelines.
The chief executive's salary is a matter for the authority but it is within a national salary scale settled by the industry's negotiating machinery. Increases in these scales over the past three years have been within Government pay guidelines.