HC Deb 22 May 1986 vol 98 cc239-43W
Mr. Leigh

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the latest reports of the pay review bodies.

Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the reports of the pay review bodies.

The Prime Minister

The 1986 reports of the review bodies on the pay of nursing staff, midwives, health visitors and professions allied to medicines, doctors and dentists, and the armed forces, and of the Top Salaries Review Body, have been published today. Copies are now available in the Vote Office. The Government are grateful to members of the review bodies for these reports and the time and care which they have put into their preparation.

The reports recommend pay increases from 1 April 1986 which it is estimated would increase the 1986–87 pay bill for nurses, midwives and health visitors by 7.8 per cent., that for the professions allied to medicine by 8.2 per cent., that for doctors and dentists by 7.6 per cent., that for the armed forces by 7.5 per cent., and that for senior grades of the higher Civil Service, senior officers in the armed forces and the judiciary by 6.5 per cent. These figures are all very substantially above the rate of inflation, and above the general level of current wage settlements.

The Government have nevertheless decided that the increases recommended by the review bodies, with the

Recommendation Estimated Cost (£m)*
Average Range Average Effective Percentage Increase in 1986–87 Recommended 1986–87
Nurses 7.8 5.4 to 8.0 5.9 326 244
PAMs 8.2 6.5 to 8.0 6.1 30 23
DDRB 7.6 6.8 to 9.6 5.7 179 134
AFPRB 7.5 5.5 to 9.5 5.6 234 175
TSRB 6.5 5.3 to 7.3 3.0 5
* Review Body figures, amended as necessary.

Full year effects for groups other than TSRB are as recommended; for TSRB groups the full year average is 4 per cent. arid the range 3.2 per cent. to 4.4 per cent.

The pay rates and scales resulting from the decisions will be promulgated as soon as possible for National Health Service and armed forces groups. Rates for TSRB

Salaries currently in payment Salaries effective from 1 July Staff in post*
£ £
SENIOR GRADES OF THE HIGHER CIVIL SERVICE Head of the Civil Service (and Secretary of the Cabinet) 75,000 77,400 1
Permanent Secretary of the Treasury 70,000 72,400 1

exception of those recommended by the Top Salaries Review Body, should be implemented in full, but having regard to the sums involved, with effect from 1 July 1986. The resulting increases in the pay bills concerned in 1986–87 will average a little under 6 per cent., and this year's costs will be generally met from within existing public expenditure plans.

This year the hospital and community health services (HCHS) programme will benefit from lower inflation, which has already fallen well below the 4.5 per cent. expected when the planning total was agreed; and it will also have resources available from planned cost improvements. Nevertheless, the Government recognise that implementation as proposed might adversely affect services to patients, and have therefore decided, exceptionally, to provide an extra £60 million for health authority cash limits from within the total of planned public expenditure this year.

The Top Salaries Review Body (TSRB) last year carried out a major review of the remuneration of those covered by its remit, as a result of which it recommended increases, some of them substantial, in the salaries of those concerned. The recommended salaries have been fully in effect since 1 March 1986. This year the Government have decided that the TSRB's recommendations should be scaled down to an average 4 per cent. to take effect from 1 July 1986, thus keeping the effective increase in the pay of this group in 1986–87 in line with inflation, that is, 3 per cent. In addition the Government have decided in principle to accept the recommendations first put forward by the TSRB last year, for discretionary pay at Civil Service grades 2 and 3, as part of the arrangements for strengthening the link between pay and performance at these levels. A fuller account of these proposals is being sent to staff interests, with whom there will be consultation.

Details are as follows:

groups are set out below. Pensions will be based on the salaries actually in payment in accordance with the principle set out in my written answer of 13 April 1984, at column 383. The Government are considering separately certain points of detail in the recommendations.

Salaries currently in payment Salaries effective from 1 July Staff in post*
£ £
Grade 1 (Permanent Secretary) 60,000 62,100 21
Grade 1A (Second Permanent Secretary) 55,000 56,800 14
Grade 2 (Deputy Secretary)
—on promotion 40,000 41,500 140
—after 1 years service in the grade 42,000 43,500
45,500
—discretionary 47,825
50,150
Grade 3 (Under-Secretary)
—on promotion 31,000 32,350 482
—after 1 years service in the grade 32,500 33,850
—after 2 years service in the grade 34,000 35,350
36,850
—discretionary 38,425
40,000
SENIOR OFFICERS IN THE ARMED FORCES
Admiral of the Fleet 75,000 77,400 1
Field Marshal
Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Admiral 60,000 62,100 19
General
Air Chief Marshal
Vice-Admiral 42,000 43,500 33
Lieutenant General
Air Marshal
Rear Admiral 34,000 35,350 154
Major General
Air Vice-Marshal
Judiciary
Lord Chief Justice 75,000 77,400 1
Lords of Appeal 69,000 71,400 12
Master of the Rolls Lord President of the Court of Session
Lord Chief Justice (Northern Ireland)
Lord Justice Clerk 66,000 68,400 28
Lords Justices of Appeal
Lords Justices of Appeal (Northern Ireland)
President of the Family Division
Vice-Chancellor
High Court Judges 60,000 62,100 102
Judges of the Court of Session
Puisne Judges (Northern Ireland)
Chairman, Scottish Land Court and President, Lands Tribunal (Scotland) 44,500 46,000 30
Sheriffs Principal
Official Referees
Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster
Senior Circuit Judges
Recorder of Liverpool
Recorder of Manchester
Recorder of Belfast
Chief Social Security Commissioners (England, Wales and Scotland and Northern Ireland)
Presidents, Industrial Tribunals (England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland)
Judge Advocate General
President, Social Security Appeal Tribunals and
Medical Appeal Tribunals (England, Wales and Scotland)
Chairman, Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
Presidents, Lands Tribunals (England, and Wales and Northern Ireland† 40,000 46,000 1

salaries currently in payment Salaries effective from 1 July Staff in post*
£ £
Circuit Judges
Sheriffs 40,000 41,500 507
County Court Judges (Northern Ireland)
Social Security Commissioners (England, Wales and Scotland and Northern Ireland)
Registrar of Criminal Appeals
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate
Senior and Chief Masters and Registrars
Master, Court of Protection
Chairman, Foreign Compensation Commission
Regional Chairmen, Industrial Tribunals (England and Wales and Scotland)
Judge Advocate of the Fleet
Vice-Judge Advocate General
President Value-Added Tax Tribunals
President Immigration Appeal Tribunal
Presiding Special Commissioner of Income Tax
President, Social Security Appeal Tribunals and Medical Appeal Tribunals (Northern Ireland)
Regional Chairman, Social Security Appeal Tribunals and Medical Appeal Tribunals
Members, Lands Tribunals (England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland)† 30,500 41,500 9
Chairmen, Industrial Tribunals (England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) 30,500 31,850 395
Metropolitan Magistrates
Provincial Stipendiary Magistrates
Resident Magistrates (Northern Ireland)
Masters and Registrars of the Supreme Court
Masters of the Supreme Court (Northern Ireland)
Registrar of Civil Appeals
County Court Registrars and District Registrars of the High Court
Circuit Registrars (Northern Ireland)
President, Pensions Appeal Tribunal
Vice-Presidents, Immigration Appeal Tribunal
Vice-President (Scotland) and Chairmen, Value-Added Tax Tribunals
Chairmen, Social Security Appeal Tribunals and Medical Appeal Tribunals
Special Commissioners of Income Tax
* At latest available date.
† Post rebanded for salary purposes.