HL Deb 12 May 1982 vol 430 cc297-301WA
Lord Windlesham

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have any further statement to make about the report of the Top Salaries Review Body.

Baroness Young

I informed the House last week that the Government were considering the report of the Top Salaries Review Body on the pay of the higher Civil Service, senior officers of the armed forces and the judiciary. I am now able to announce our decisions.

The report recommends increases in the pay of the higher Civil Service and senior officers of the armed forces averaging 13 per cent., and for the judiciary 20 per cent., above the levels recommended as appropriate at 1st April 1980. Because the 1980 recommendations have, for the most part, not been fully implemented, the recommended increases over the salaries currently in payment are somewhat larger: 19.4 per cent. for the Civil Service and the armed forces and 23.4 per cent. for the judiciary.

In its report, the TSRB argues cogently that substantial increases in the salaries of these groups are now justified. The Government agree. It is in the national interest to ensure an adequate supply of candidates of sufficient calibre for appointment to judicial office and to provide an adequate career structure and suitable differentials in the higher reaches of the Civil Service and the armed forces. The House will remember that, after many years of restraint, the pay of these groups is still on average 5 per cent. below the levels considered appropriate as long ago as 1st April 1980. This situation is unique among public servants and, in the Government's view, its continuation would carry unacceptable risks of long-term damage to our ability to attract and retain individuals of the high calibre needed to fill these vital posts.

There are sound management reasons for bringing these salaries up to date quickly and for keeping them up to date in future. But the immediate increases needed for this purpose are large; and, as I announced last week, the Government have felt obliged to cut back the salaries recommended for doctors and dentists in the most recent DDRB report. Accordingly, we have decided that we must ask the TSRB groups also to accept some abatement in their salaries this year. The precise level of abatement to be applied is a matter of judgment. A table showing the conclusions to which the Government have come is appended to this answer. We were particularly concerned with the need to provide adequate pay differentials between the lowest grades of the Civil Service and the armed forces covered by the report and their colleagues immediately below them in their respective organisations. For the rest, we have applied an abatement of about one-third of the proposed increase at the highest levels in each group and have settled intermediate salaries broadly in line with the pattern of differentials proposed in the Review Body's report. We recognise that this abatement will be one of the factors to be taken into account by the Review Body in the course of its next review.

The Government's decisions mean weighted average increases in the salaries of the higher Civil Service and senior officers of the armed forces of 8 per cent. above the rates of salary recommended for 1st April 1980 and 14.3 per cent. above the salaries currently in payment. The equivalent figures for the judiciary are 14.5 and 18.6 per cent. The new rates of salary will come into effect from 1st April 1982. The cost of implementing the Government's proposals will be

TOP SALARIES REVIEW BODY GROUPS: SCHEDULE OF NEW SALARIES
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Current salary £ TSRB recommendation for 1.4.1980 £ TSRB recommendation for 1.4.1982 £ New salary £ Per cent, increase over current salary Per cent, increase over TSRB 1980 Number in group
(a) Senior grades of the higher Civil Service
Permanent Secretary to the Treasury 35,845 37,000 45,000 42,000 17 14 2
Secretary to the Cabinet
Permanent Secretary 33,170 34,000 40,000 37,750 14 11 22
Second Permanent Secretary 30,495 31,000 37,000 35,000 15 13 16
Deputy Secretary 26,215 27,000 32,000 30,250 15 12 141
Undersecretary 21,935 23,500 26,000 25,000 14 6 524
(b) Senior officers in the armed forces
Admiral of the Fleet 35,845 37,000 45,000 42,000 17 14 1
Field Marshal
Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Admiral 33,170 34,000 40,000 37,750 14 11 20
General
Air Chief Marshal
Vice-Admiral 26,215 27,000 32,000 30,250 15 12 37
Lieutenant General
Air Marshal
Medical Rear Admiral 23,005 23,500 26,000 25,000 9 6 17
Medical Major General
Medical Air Vice-Marshal
Rear Admiral 21,935 23,500 26,000 25,000 14 6 141
Major General
Air Vice-Marshal
(c)Judiciary
Lord Chief Justice 44,500 43,000 56,000 52,500 18 22 1
Master of the Rolls 41,000 40,000 51,500 48,250 18 21 11
Lord of Appeal
Lord President of the Court of Session (Scotland)
Lord Chief Justice (Northern Ireland) 39,000 38,500 50,000 47,000 21 22 2
President of the Family Division
Lord Justice of Appeal 37,500 36,500 48,500 45,500 21 25 22
Lord Justice Clerk (Scotland)
Lord Justice of Appeal (Northern Ireland)
Vice-Chancellor 37,500 36,000 48,500 45,500 21 26 1
High Court Judge 35,000 35,000 45,000 42,500 21 21 99
Judge of the Court of Session (Scotland)
Puisne Judge (Northern Ireland)
President, Lands Tribunal (England and Wales) 25,500 26,000 31,500 30,000 18 15 4
President, Transport Tribunal
Chief Social Security Commissioner (England and Wales and Scotland)
President, Industrial Tribunals (England and Wales)
President, Industrial Tribunals (Scotland) 24,750 25,250 30,500 29,000 17 15 9
Sheriff Principal (Scotland)
Chairman, Scottish Land Court
President, Lands Tribunal (Scotland)

about £7.5 million. In the case of the Civil Service and the armed forces, the increases represent less than 0.05 per cent. of their combined pay bills.

The report of the Top Salaries Review Body report has been laid before the House today and will be published as a Command Paper shortly. Copies in typescript are now available in the Printed Paper Office.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Current salary £ TSRB recommendation for 1.4.1980 £ TSRB recommendation for 1.4.1982 £ New salary £ Per cent, increase over current salary Per cent, increase over TSRB 1980 Number in group
Official Referee (London) 24,500 24,500 30,500 29,000 18 18 10
Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster
Recorder of Liverpool
Recorder of Manchester
Senior Circuit Judge, Newington Causeway
Recorder of Belfast (Northern Ireland)
President of the Lands Tribunal (Northern Ireland)1
Chief Social Security Commissioner (Northern Ireland)1
Circuit Judge 23,250 24,000 29,000 27,750 19 16 385
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate
Member, Lands Tribunal (England and Wales and Scotland)
Social Security Commissioner (England and Wales and Scotland)
Judge Advocate General
Sheriff A (Scotland)
County Court Judge (Northern Ireland)
Master of the Court of Protection
Senior and Chief Masters and Registrars of the Supreme Court
Registrar of Criminal Appeals
President, Industrial Tribunal (Northern Ireland)1
Member, Lands Tribunal (Northern Ireland)1
Social Security Commissioner (Northern Ireland)1
Sheriff B (Scotland) 23,250 23,500 29,000 27,750 19 18 56
Regional Chairmen, Industrial Tribunals (England and Wales and Scotland) 22,750 23,500 27,000 25,750 13 10 17
Chairman, Foreign Compensation Commission
Vice-Judge Advocate General 22,000 22,500 27,000 25,750 17 14 1
Masters and Registrars of the Supreme Court 20,750 22,500 25,000 24,000 16 7 181
Metropolitan Magistrate
Chairmen, Industrial Tribunals (England and Wales and Scotland)
Provincial Stipendiary Magistrate
Resident Magistrate (Northern Ireland)1
Chairman, Industrial Tribunal (Northern Ireland)1
Master, Supreme Court (Northern Ireland)1
County Court Registrars and District Registrars of the High Court 20,500 22,000 25,000 24,000 17 9 153

Note:1These appointments were added to the remit after Report No. 14. The salaries shown for the appointments in Column 2 are those recommended in Report No. 16 in 1st April 1980 terms.