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Departmental Pay

Volume 494: debated on Monday 15 June 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff employed in London on work contracted out by his Department earn less than £7.45 per hour. (274948)

[holding answer 12 May 2009]: From information held centrally, there are no staff employed in London on work contracted out by the Department earning less than £7.45 per hour.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many bonuses were paid to staff in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies in each of the last five years; and how much was paid in each case. (276271)

The following table shows the figures requested for DEFRA and its Executive Agencies. Due to system changes, data prior to 2005-06 for Core DEFRA are available only at disproportionate cost. Data for non departmental public bodies are not held centrally and also can only be made available at disproportionate cost.

DEFRA

VLA

CEFAS

RPA

2004-05

Total value (£)

30,777

321,000

323,567

Number of bonuses

133

490

525

2005-06

Total value (£)

3,361,065

35,034

482,000

249,025

Number of bonuses

4,368

148

479

541

2006-07

Total value (£)

3,171,792

39,120

566,766

243,072

Number of bonuses

2,569

162

543

480

2007-08

Total value (£)

3,235,664

45,327

610,125

425,417

Number of bonuses

2,100

180

567

812

2008-09

Total value (£)

3,036,270

47,409

773,747

542,289

Number of bonuses

2,014

195

410

1,125

For DEFRA, the data cover staff in the core Department and those Executive Agencies covered by DEFRA terms and conditions at that time, as well as staff who transferred to DECC on 3 October 2008.

Non-consolidated performance related variable pay is used to reward excellent performance during the year and is based on a judgment of how well an individual has performed relative to their peers. Performance related pay schemes encourage high attainment because bonuses have to be earned each year. They help drive high performance in Departments and agencies and support better public service delivery.

For the SCS:

Non-consolidated performance related variable pay rewards in-year performances in relation to agreed objectives, or short term personal contribution to wider organisational objectives. Such payments are paid in addition to base pay increases and do not count towards pension.

Performance related variable pay is allocated by Departments from a ‘pot’ expressed as a percentage of the SCS salary bill, which is agreed centrally each year following the Senior Salaries Review Body recommendations. The intention is that such payment decisions should be differentiated in order to recognise the most significant deliverers of in-year performance.

For staff at Grade 6 and below:

The performance related variable pay scheme introduced in April 2005 provides staff in DEFRA and those Agencies covered by the core- Department’s reward arrangements, with recognition and reward for delivery of an outstanding outcome or performance that significantly exceeds normal expectations. The process should provide staff at all grades with an opportunity to earn such an award, and ensure that achievements in operational, policy and corporate services areas are recognised as being of equal esteem. Such payments are paid in addition to base pay increases and do not count towards pension.

There are two types of award:

In-year payments, paid to individuals or teams in recognition of one-off achievements during the year; and

Annual payments that, in 2007 and 2008, were paid to the top 10 per cent. of performers for delivery of an outstanding outcome or performance sustained throughout the whole year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies paid in end-of-year performance bonuses to (i) all staff and (ii) senior Civil Service staff in 2008-09; and how many such payments were made. (277358)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies paid in end-of-year performance bonuses to (i) all staff and (ii) senior Civil Service staff in 2008-09; and how many such payments were made. (275256)

The following table summarises the requested figures for DEFRA and its Executive agencies.

DEFRA

RPA

VLA

CEFAS

Amount spent on end-year non-consolidated performance payments (£)

2,433,775

475,721

84,069

773,747

Amount spent on non-consolidated performance payments for the SCS only (£)

1,300,592

34,371

36,660

32,500

Number of staff (grade 6 and below) who received an end-of-year non-consolidated performance payment

490

565

195

4

Number of SCS staff who received a non-consolidated performance payment

134

2

3

494

The data for DEFRA cover staff in the core Department and those organisations under DEFRA terms and conditions, including Animal Health, the Marine Fisheries Agency, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and those staff who transferred to DECC on 3 October 2008.

The total pay bill for DEFRA was £194.147 million, of which 1.25 per cent. was used for end-on-year non-consolidated performance payments to staff (including the SCS). The median payments were £8,500 for SCS and £2,056 for non-SCS staff.

The total pay bill for the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) was £98.8 million, of which 0.48 per cent. was used for end-on-year non-consolidated performance payments to staff (including the SCS).

The total pay bill for the Veterinary Laboratories Agencies (VLA) was £40.363 million, of which 0.21 per cent. was used for end-on-year non-consolidated performance payments to staff (including the SCS). The median payments were £12,000 for SCS and £207.99 for non-SCS staff.

The total pay bill for the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) was £15.547 million, of which 4.8 per cent. was used for end-on-year non-consolidated performance payments to staff (including the SCS). The mean payments were £8,125 for SCS and £1,500 for non-SCS staff.

Non-consolidated performance related variable pay is used to reward excellent performance during the year and are based on a judgment of how well an individual has performed relative to their peers. Performance related pay schemes encourage high attainment because bonuses have to be earned each year. They help drive high performance in Departments and agencies and support better public service delivery.

For the SCS

Non-consolidated performance related variable pay rewards in-year performance in relation to agreed objectives, or short term personal contribution to wider organisational objectives. Such payments are paid in addition to base pay increases and do not count towards pension.

Performance related variable pay is allocated by Departments from a ‘pot' expressed as a percentage of the SCS salary bill, which is agreed centrally each year following the Senior Salaries Review Body recommendations. The intention is that such payment decisions should be differentiated in order to recognise the most significant deliverers of in-year performance.