§ Mr. SwinneyTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the number of her Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill(a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings. [30143]
§ Mrs. Beckett[holding answer 18 February 1998]: The distribution of DTI-core staff (i.e. excluding Agencies, staff with the Government Offices and on detached duty outside the Department) on 31 March 1997 was:
- London: 3,851
- Scotland: 173
- Wales: 81
- Yorkshire and Humberside: 140
- North West: 106
- Eastern: 44
- East Midlands: 50
- North East: 109
- South East: 57
- South West: 80
- West: 145.
DTI-core pay out-turn for financial year 1996–97 £ Salaries 113,388,000 Overtime 1,444,000 ERNIC 8,906,000 Superannuation 15,580,000 139,318,000 Local Pay Additions and London weighting were abolished for DTI staff in 1994, but most employees continued to receive them under reserved rights provisions. In August 1997 these payments were consolidated into base pay.
The annual amounts paid in the London area (to staff below the senior civil service) were as follows:
except for about 100 individuals who retained reserved rights to different amounts.
- Inner London Weighting: £1,776
- Intermediate London Weighting: £1,015
- Outer London Weighting: £736.
- In addition some junior staff (mostly clerical) were eligible for:
- London Local Pay Addition: £800
The cost of providing a regional breakdown of pay and allowances would exceed the disproportionate cost limit. My Department no longer pays regional allowances as a distinct element of pay.