HL Deb 16 July 1987 vol 488 cc1250-3WA
Lord Boyd-Carpenter

asked the Leader of the House:

If he will make a statement about Minister's pay.

The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Belstead)

The salaries of Ministers and other paid office holders were last increased from 1st January 1987 under the terms of the Ministerial and Other Salaries Order 1983, and will remain at these levels until they are superseded by a new order. The Government have considered possible changes to ministerial salaries against the background of the 21.9 per cent. increase in the salaries of Members of Parliament that will take place on 1st January 1988 if the House decides to confirm the Resolution of 26th July 1983 linking the parliamentary salary to a Civil Service pay scale.

The Government do not consider that a similar percentage increase in the salaries of Ministers and other office holders would be justified. Instead they propose that all Ministers and office holders should receive the same cash increase of £4,048 as Members of Parliament are due to receive from 1st January 1988. Ministers and other office holders in the House of Commons will receive an increase of £3,036 in their parliamentary salaries from 1st January 1988 under

Ministers and Other Paid Office Holders
Office Current Official Salary Jan 1988 Official Salary % Increase Current Salary (including Parliamentary Salary Jan 1988 (including Parliamentary Salary % Increase
Prime Minister 44,775 45,787 2.3 58,650 62,698 6.9
Mr. Speaker 34,875 35,887 2.9 48,750 52,798 8.3
Cabinet Minister (C) 33,145 34,157 3.1 47,020 51,068 8.6
Cabinet Minister (L) 36,390 40,438 11.1
Minister of State (C) 22,875 23,887 4.4 36,750 40,798 11.0
Minister of State (L) 30,640 34,688 13.2
Parliamentary Secretary (C) 16,885 17,897 6.0 30,760 34,808 13.2
Parliamentary Secretary (L) 24,640 28,688 16.4
Attorney General 35,345 36,357 2.9 49,220 53,268 8.2
Solicitor General 28,625 29,637 3.5 42,500 46,548 9.5
Lord Advocate 36,460 40,508 11.1
Solicitor-General for Scotland 24,085 34,956 45.1
House of Commons
Leader of the Opposition 30,225 31,237 3.3 44,100 48,148 9.2
Chief Whip 27,255 28,267 3.7 41,130 45,178 9.8
Deputy Chief Whip 22,875 23,887 4.4 36,750 40,798 11.0
Opposition Chief Whip 22,875 23,887 4.4 36,750 40,798 11.0
Government Whip 13,815 14,827 7.3 27,690 31,738 14.6
Assistant Opposition Whip 13,815 14,827 7.3 27,690 31,738 14.6
Chairman, Ways & Means 22,875 23,887 4.4 36,750 40,798 11.0
Deputy Chairman, Ways and Means 19,865 20,877 5.1 33,740 37,788 12.0
House of Lords
Chief Whip 30,640 34,688 13.2
Deputy Chief Whip 24,640 28,688 16.4
Government Whip 21,570 25,618 18.8
Opposition Leader 24,640 28,688 16.4
Opposition Chief Whip 21,570 25,618 18.8
Chairman of Committees 30,640 34,688 13.2
Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees 27,530 31,578 14.7
Members of Parliament 18,500 22,548 21.9

Notes

(a) The Prime Minister has elected to receive the same salary as a Cabinet Minister in the House of Commons.

(b) The Lord Chancellor's salary is governed by the Lord Chancellor's Salary Order 1987 and is not affected by this order. (He receives £82,690 rising to £83,000 from 1st October 1987).

(c) The Solicitor General for Scotland's salary has been adjusted because the holder of the office is no longer a Member of the House of Commons. His previous ministerial salary has been increased by the difference between the ministerial salaries of the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor-General for England and the terms of the Resolution of 26th July 1983. It is proposed to award them cash increases of £1,012 in their ministerial salaries to bring their overall increase up to £4,048. The salaries of Ministers and other office holders in the House of Lords will also be increased by £4,048. The details are set out in the attached table. I have today laid the draft Ministerial and Other Salary Order 1987 to implement these changes.

Wales. Prior to 1981 the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor-General for England and Wales received the same salary. However, from 1981 the Lord Advocate, who was no longer a Member of the Commons, benefited from the higher ministerial salary that Ministers in the Lords receive compared with their Commons counterparts. Now that the Solicitor-General for Scotland is not a Member of the House of Commons his previous ministerial salary will be increased by the differential between the ministerial salaries of the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor-General for England and Wales. If the holder of the office of Solicitor-General for Scotland were again to be a Member of the House of Commons this arrangement would lapse.