§ The Prime Minister(Mr. Tony Blair)The 26th Report of the Review Body on Senior Salaries, which makes recommendations about the pay of the senior civil service, senior military personnel and the judiciary, is being published today. Copies are in the Vote Office and the Library of the House. I am grateful to the Chairman and Members of the Review Body for their work.
The main recommendations of the Review Body for the senior civil service are:
an increase from 1 April 2004 of 2 per cent. to the pay ranges for each of the senior civil service pay bands below permanent secretary;a range of base pay awards from 0 to 9 per cent. depending on performance;a minimum unconsolidated bonus payment of 3 per cent. or £2,500, whichever is the higher, for those making the greatest contribution; andan uplift to the pay range for permanent secretaries resulting in a new range of £121,100 to £256,550; the uplift is broadly equivalent to the increase proposed to the pay ranges for the senior civil service pay bands below permanent secretary.The main recommendation of the Review Body for the senior military is:
an increase from 1 April 2004 of 2.8 per cent. in the value of all points on the incremental pay scales for senior military officersThe main recommendation of the Review Body for the judiciary is:an increase from 1 April 2004 of 2.5 per cent. in judicial salaries.The Government have decided to accept these recommendations. Their cost will be met within existing departmental expenditure limits.
The Review Body has also recommended that broad salary linkage between its remit groups should be achieved from now on by maintaining general equivalence in salary levels at the top of the structures only. The Government will be considering this.
Pay increases for Members of Parliament and Ministers are linked automatically to the increase in pay bands for the senior civil service. Their pay entitlement will therefore increase by 2 per cent. from 1 April 2004