HL Deb 22 June 2004 vol 662 cc114-5WA
Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What increases there have been in salary and expenses for civil servants from the United Kingdom and from Eire working on the Cross-Border Implementation Bodies since the bodies were created, expressed in monetary and percentage terms for all grades. [HL3034]

Baroness Amos

Those Northern Ireland and Irish civil servants working on the North/South Implementation Bodies are based primarily in the central finance departments, the sponsoring departments, OFMDFM and the North/South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat. The salaries and expenses of staff in the Irish Civil Service are of course a matter for the Irish Government.

Since the creation of the bodies, the salaries of Northern Ireland civil servants have been reviewed with effect from 1 April in the years 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 as part of the annual pay review for the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) as a whole. The annual base pay increases awarded to Northern Ireland civil servants working on North/South Implementation Bodies are as follows. These are shown in percentage terms only as it is not possible to express them meaningfully in any other way.

Year Civil servants below SCS Senior civil servants
2004 Not yet agreed Not yet agreed
2003 3.67% 5.37%
2002 4.8% 4.38%
2001 4.85% 4.4%
2000 4.5% 4.4%

There is a wide range of out of pocket expenses which can be claimed by Northern Ireland civil servants in connection with their official duties. The most common are in respect of mileage and subsistence. Subsistence rates have remained unchanged since 2000. Mileage allowance changes for the years in question are set out below in monetary terms only, as the basis on which these rates were payable changed radically.

NICS Motor Mileage Rates 2000–02
Cars with engine capacity: Up to 1000cc p per mile 1001–1500cc p per mile 1501–2000cc p per mile Over 2000cc p per mile
Up to 4,000 miles 28 35 45 53
Over 4,000 miles 17 20 25 36

NICS Motor Mileage Rates 2002–04
All Engine Capacities: Per Mile
Up to 10,000 miles 40p
Over 10,000 miles 25p