To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide in respect of his 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. [38286]
The prison service, forensic science service and the fire service college already have delegated authority from the Secretary of State to make their own pay arrangements, and each has established its own recognition and negotiating arrangements. The Passport Agency is expected to have delegation from 1 April 1996.The delegation plan which was recently submitted to the Treasury covered the remainder of Home Office staff. These comprised some 9,000 staff at grade 6 level and below.There are no agency candidates at present and no plans to create more than one bargaining unit within the non-agency Home Office. We intend to recognise the First Division Association, National Union of Civil and Public Servants—which will become the Public Services, Tax and Commerce Union on 1 January—Institution of Professionals, Managers and Specialist and Civil and Public Services Association for the grades for which they are currently recognised. We also plan to recognise the Immigration Service Union for immigration service grades. Talks have taken place with all five unions about negotiating machinery. Our preferred option is for single table bargaining but, as the other four unions will not sit with the ISU, separate arrangements will be needed to cover immigration service grades. These are not yet finalised, but may involve separate negotiations with the NUCPS/PTC and with the ISU.