§ Mr. SwinneyTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the cost of London salary weightings to the Civil Service for each of the last five years. [30054]
§ Dr. David ClarkMy answer assumes that the hon. Gentleman's question refers to the payment of London Weighting allowance.
Since 1 April 1996 departments and agencies have had delegated authority to determine the pay and the allowances for those staff outside of the Senior Civil Service. I am, therefore, unable to provide costs for the last two years (1996 and 1997), as records of actual costs are no longer held centrally.
The London Weighting allowance was abolished on 1 October 1994, but most Civil Servants in receipt of this allowance retained it as a reserved right. There were three levels of London Weighting allowance paid to non-industrial staff:
698W
- inner London £1,776 per person per annum;
- intermediate zone £1,015; and
- outer London £736.
The approximate cost of the London allowance (excluding employer's superannuation and National Insurance contributions) for the three years prior to delegation is as follows:
- 1993: £158 million
- 1994: £151 million
- 1995: £147 million.