HC Deb 27 June 1979 vol 969 cc176-80W
Dr. David Clark

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report the salary scales, respectively, of police constables and probation officers.

Mr. Pavitt

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report tables showing the pay scales of the police force together with their emoluments and the pay scales at present for probation officers.

Mr. Brittan

With effect from 1 May 1979, the annual salaries of police officers

Annual pay
Rank Service in Rank London Provinces
£ £
Assistant chief constable/Commander … … — 12,725 12,500
Chief superintendent … … … … Less than 1 year … 11,030 10,800
After 1 year … … 11,270 11,050
After 2 years … … 11,525 11,300
After 3 years … … 11,775 11,550
Superintendent … … … … … Less than 1 year … 10,460 9,800
After 1 year … … 10,550 10,050
After 2 years … … 10,630 10,300
After 3 years … … 10,710 10,550
Chief inspector … … … … … Less than 1 year … 7,440 7,100
After 1 year … … 7,625 7,300
After 2 years … … 7,820 7,500
After 3 years … … 8,030 7,700
After 4 years … … 8,235 7,900
Inspector … … … … … … Less than 1 year … 6,590 6,250
After 1 year … … 6,775 6,450
After 2 years … … 7,015 6,700
After 3 years … … 7,230 6,900
After 4 years … … 7,440 7,100
Station sergeant or first class sergeant (CID) … Any service … … 6,590 —
£
Sergeant … … … … … … Less than 1 year … 5,450
After 1 year … … 5,700
After 2 years … … 5,900
After 3 years … … 6,100
After 4 years … … 6,250
Constable … … … … … … Less than 1 year … 3,600
After 1 year … … 3,850
After 2 years … … 4,300
After 3 years … … 4,400
After 4 years … … 4,550
After 5 years … … 4,700
After 6 years … … 4,850
After 7 years … … 5,000
After 8 years … … 5,150
After 12 years … 5,450
After 15 years … 5,700

Salaries for chief constables and deputy chief constables are related to the population of the area served by the force. Outside London, the salaries of chief constables range from £16,600 to £20,500; deputy chief constables' salaries are 80 per cent. of the chief constable's salary.

The principal emoluments, other than salaries, which police officers receive are: (1) Rent allowance—The maximum allowances, which are effectively tax free, vary from one force to another and currently range from £12.37 to £28.81 a week for officers below the rank of superintendent. Superintendents and more senior ranks receive higher allowances.

Grade Service in Grade Annual pay
£
Assistant Chief Probation Officer … … … On appointment … 6,297
After 1 year … … 6,465
After 2 years … … 6,654
After 3 years … … 6,810

of the rank of assistant chief constable and below are as follows:

(2) Overtime and rest day and public holiday working—The hourly rate, which is payable only to officers below the rank of superintendent, is time and a third, time and a half and double time respectively. (3) London weighting and London allowance—All officers in the Metropolitan and City of London police forces receive a special London allowance of £650 a year and £319 a year for London weighting.

The annual salaries for probation officers, which are due to be increased with effect from 1 July 1979, are currently as follows for the grades of assistant chief probation officer and below:

Grade Service in Grade Annual pay
£
Senior Probation Officer … … … … On appointment … 5,193
After 1 year … … 5,364
After 2 years … … 5,526
After 3 years … … 5,685
After 4 years … … 5,850
£ £
Probation Officer [Salaries for London officers in brackets] On appointment … 3,624 [3,822
After 1 year … … 3,822 4,017
After 2 years … … 4,017 4,212
After 3 years … … 4,212 4,338
After 4 years … … 4,338 4,467
After 5 years … … 4,467 4,599
After 6 years … … 4,599 4,740
After 7 years … … 4,740 4,884
After 8 years … … 4,884 5,034
After 9 years … … 5,034 5,169
After 10 years … 5,313]

Salaries for chief probation officers are at present related to staff size and the population of the area. The salary scales for chief probation officers range from £6,342 to £11,586 a year: the scales for deputy chief probation officers are approximately 75 per cent. of the chief probation officer's scale.

Officers in the probation service receive no additional emoluments, other than inner London weighting of £501 a year and outer London weighting of £321 a year.

Dr. David Clark

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the pay and recruitment of probation officers.

Mr. Whitelaw

Provisional agreement has been reached by the joint negotiating committee on the outlines of this year's pay claim for increases from 1 July, but negotiations on the details are continuing.

Mr. Pavitt

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he has received the interim proposals of the joint negotiating committee on the pay of probation officers;

(2) if he will make a statement about the negotiations between probation officers and employers;

(3) when he proposes to meet both the employers and staff side of the probation service in a joint discussion on pay scales.

Mr. Whitelaw

The joint negotiating committee has provisionally agreed the outlines of this year's pay settlement for increases from 1 July, but negotiations on the details are continuing. I have received no request for a joint discussion with the two sides on pay scales and do not have it in mind to propose one.

Mr. Pavitt

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many probation officers left the service during 1978 in order to improve their income by joining social services departments.

Mr. Brittan

No specific information is available about the reasons for moving of those probation officers who left the service during 1978 to work in local authority social services departments. However, improvement of income is likely to have been a major consideration.

Mr. Raymond Powell

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the increased pay award to the police is to be implemented; and what are the reasons for the delay.

Mr. Whitelaw

The Police (Amendment) Regulations 1979, which give effect to the award, are expected to be laid before Parliament on 27 June. Drafting of the regulations was complicated by problems arising from the phasing of the pay award and the restructuring of police pay scales. The delay will not affect the operative date of 1 May.