§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what will be the approximate amount of savings at the bottom level of the probation service per annum if the proposed cuts in trainee pay are implemented;
(2) what will be the average weekly take-home pay after reductions for a trainee probation officer starting at the bottom level if the proposed cuts in the probation service pay scale are implemented;
(3) what will be the yearly reduction in the pay for a trainee probation officer starting at the bottom level if the proposed cuts in the probation service pay scale are implemented;
(4) what is the average yearly wage for a trainee probation officer.
§ Mr. MellorIntroduction of a revised salary scale for probation students sponsored by the Home Office for courses starting this year is expected to yield an annual saving of about £300,000.
Average take-home pay at the lowest point on the revised scale will be £217.42 a month for a student whose course is based at a college outside the London pay area, and £266 for a student based in inner London; or, if the student is a married man, £233.92 and £282.50, respectively. In addition, the student may be eligible for reimbursement of travelling expenses incurred during the course, including those between home or lodgings and the college, and for other allowances depending upon the individual circumstances.
A student under age 26, without any relevant experience, who starts this year on the minimum of the scale on a course lasting two academic years will receive £963 less in salary during the first year and about £1,900 less over the whole period of training than would have been payable under the scale previously in force. Both figures are gross, before deduction of the student's superannuation contributions, earnings-related national insurance, and income tax.
The average annual salary for a student whose training commenced before 1 April 1983 is £5,152 if the course is based at a college outside the London pay area, and £6,160 if the course is based in inner London. The corresponding figures for those commencing training in the 1983–84 academic year are £4,746 and £5,754, respectively.
406WThe information given in this answer is based on the new scale as fixed at present. The scale is subject to review in the light of changes in the general level of student grants.