§ Baroness Ellesasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they plan to publish the report by the Senior Salaries Review Body into parliamentary pay and allowances.
Viscount CranborneThe Government have now considered Report No. 38 from the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) on parliamentary pay and allowances. The Government are grateful to the review body for undertaking this complex remit so promptly. The report is being published today as Command Paper 3330—and copies are available in the Printed Paper Office.
Following representations made during the Government's consultations with other parties on the report, the Government will table Motions to allow the 116WA House of Commons to consider whether it wishes to implement the recommendations of the report in full.
The Government themselves, however, are clear that the recommended increases for Members' and Ministers' pay are too high and that the Motions to give these effect should not be passed in current circumstances. They will therefore oppose these Motions and will table Motions to bring into effect an increase in the salary of a backbench Member from £34,085 to £35,018—that is, by 3 per cent. with effect from 1st July 1996, and for similar increases in the pay of Ministers and other office holders. The Government will also table motions to implement the report's recommendation that further increases should take effect from 1st April each year and should be linked to movements in senior Civil Service pay bands.