To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will provide in respect of her plan for pay delegation submitted to the Treasury (a) a description of the staff in each bargaining unit covered by the plan, distinguishing staff in HQ functions, agencies and agency candidates and in other identifiable business units and (b) proposals for trade union recognition in each bargaining unit and the negotiating machinery to be put in place in each bargaining unit. [38272]
The pay delegation plan that my Department submitted to the Treasury covered staff in the Department of National Heritage only. The Royal Parks Agency and the Historic Royal Palaces Agency are preparing separate delegation plans in consultation with my Department. The information requested for each bargaining unit is:
Department of National Heritage
The pay delegation plan covers all staff in my Department at grade 6 and below. This is currently 334 staff in grades as follows:
Staff
| |
| Grade 6 | 8 |
| Grade 7 | 48 |
| SEO and equivalent | 24 |
| HEO and equivalent | 71 |
| EO and equivalent | 61 |
| AO and equivalent | 59 |
Staff
| |
| AA and equivalent | 24 |
| Secretarial group | 26 |
| Support grades | 13 |
My Department is recognising all relevant unions for pay bargaining purposes and is currently in discussion with the trade unions about a procedural agreement which will enable negotiations to take place about changes to terms and conditions and pay progression.
Royal Parks Agency
The Royal Parks Agency already has delegated pay authority for the royal parks constabulary and negotiates this with the National Union of Civil and Public Servants. My Department is in discussion with the RPA about its delegation plan for all remaining staff, apart from the chief executive—currently 98 staff in the following grades:
Staff
| |
| Grade 6 | 1 |
| Grade 7 | 3 |
| SEO | 4 |
| SPTO | 2 |
| HEO | 9 |
| HPTO | 1 |
| EO | 15 |
| AO | 27 |
| AA | 1 |
| Typist | 2 |
| Park Manager | 4 |
| Assistant Park Manager | 7 |
| Park Supervisor | 13 |
| Groom | 6 |
| Cartographer | 1 |
| Wildlife Officer | 1 |
| Assistant Wildlife Officer | 1 |
It has not yet finalised its negotiating arrangements with its trade unions for these staff.
Historic Royal Palaces Agency
The Historic Royal Palaces Agency already has delegated pay authority for its industrial staff. The agency is in discussion with my Department about a pay delegation plan covering all other staff in the agency, except the chief executive and any other staff who may form part of the new senior civil service. These staff number 394 staff in the following grades, excluding the chief executive.
Staff
| |
| Grade 5 | 6 |
| Grade 6 | 1 |
| Grade 7 | 15 |
| SEO and equivalent | 18 |
| HEO and equivalent | 26 |
| EO and equivalent | 47 |
| AO and equivalent | 141 |
| AA and equivalent | 140 |
| Industrial staff | 55 |
The agency has held preliminary discussions with all the unions currently represented, but has not yet reached agreement on formal negotiating arrangements.