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Government Departments: Bonuses

Volume 716: debated on Thursday 14 January 2010

Questions

Asked by

To ask Her Majesty's Government for each of the last three years for which figures are available, how many people were eligible for performance bonuses and special bonuses in Communities and Local Government and its agencies, by civil service band; how many people received each type of bonus, by civil service band; what the average payment was for each type of bonus, by civil service band; and what the maximum payment was for each type of bonus, by civil service band[HL34]

An element of the Communities and Local Government overall pay award is allocated to non-consolidated variable pay related to performance. These payments are used to drive high performance and form part of the pay award for members of staff who demonstrate exceptional performance, for example by exceeding targets set or meeting challenging objectives.

Non-consolidated variable pay awards are funded from within existing pay bill controls, and have to be re-earned each year against pre-determined targets and, as such, do not add to future pay bill costs. The percentage of the pay bill set aside for performance-related awards for the SCS is based on recommendations from the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.

The table below details how many people were eligible for and received a non-consolidated variable pay awards and the average and the maximum payment for a non-consolidated variable pay award, by civil service band, awarded under the Communities and Local Government standard pay and performance management process for the three most recent financial years.

Financial Year 2007-08Financial Year 2008-09Financial year 2009/2010

SCS

Non-SCS

SCS

Non-SCS

SCS

Non-SCS

Number of staff eligible for non-consolidated performance payment

121

2188

132

2015

134

1940

Number of staff who received a non- consolidated performance payment

102

391

100

570

99

Information not yet available

Average value of non-consolidated performance payment

6,513

850

8,200

752

7,262

Information not yet available

The value of maximum non- consolidated payment

16,270

850

20,500

850

12,500

Information not yet available

Percentage of SCS paybill set aside for non-consolidated performance payments

6.5

N/A

7.6

N/A

8.6

N/A

In addition, two individuals employed on a SCS non-standard form contract, which links a higher than normal percentage of their pay to delivery-based objectives, received a non-consolidated award of £12,500 for their performance in 2009-10, and one individual in 2008-09 received a non-consolidated award of £16,270 in 2007-08.

The department also operates a scheme for all staff below the Senior Civil Service under which individuals or teams may receive a small non-consolidated award in recognition of an outstanding contribution over a limited period. The maximum payment made under these arrangements is £600 but records are not available to show the number of payments made under this scheme.

Asked by

To ask Her Majesty's Government for each of the past three years for which figures are available, how many people were eligible for performance bonuses and special bonuses in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its agencies, by civil service band; how many people received each type of bonus, by civil service band; what the average payment was for each type of bonus, by civil service band; and what the maximum payment was for each type of bonus, by civil service band [HL35]

An element of the DCMS overall pay award is allocated to non-consolidated variable pay related to performance. These payments are used to drive high performance and form part of the pay award for members of staff who demonstrate exceptional performance, for example by exceeding targets set or meeting challenging objectives.

Non-consolidated variable pay awards are funded from within existing pay bill controls, and have to be re-earned each year against pre-determined targets and, as such, do not add to future pay bill costs. The percentage of the pay bill set aside for performance-related awards for the SCS is based on recommendations from the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.

The table below details how many people were eligible for and received a non-consolidated variable pay awards and the average and the maximum payment for a non-consolidated variable pay award, by civil service band, awarded under the DCMS standard pay and performance management process for the three most recent performance years for which the relevant payments have been published in the department's accounts.

The department, and its executive agency, make non-consolidated performance payments to its employees for two purposes: (a) in-year non-consolidated performance payments to reward outstanding contributions in particularly demanding tasks or situations; and (b) year-end non-consolidated performance payments to reward highly successful performance over a whole year. In both cases they support and help drive high performance in both the department and its executive agency.

These figures cover all civil servants on standard terms. They are exclusive of two key senior staff in the Government Olympic Executive, who were appointed on non-standard terms with fixed-term contracts ending in 2012 and whose remuneration reflects extensive relevant experience and the unique challenge of delivering the Olympics to a fixed deadline. Details of their remuneration were published in the departmental annual reports and accounts 2009.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport DCMS

Performance Year 2006-07Performance Year 2007-08Performance Year 2008-09

SCS

Non- SCS

SCS

Non-SCS

SCS

Non-SCS

Number of staff eligible for non-consolidated performance payment

35

504

37

471

41

433

Number of staff who received a non-consolidated performance payment

25

219

32

345

25

369

Average value of non-consolidated performance payment

£6,455

£1,395

£6,947

£953

£7,072

£940

The value of maximum non-consolidated payment

£10,000

£2,400

£13,000

£2,500

£13,500

£2,500

Percentage of SCS paybill set aside for non-consolidated performance payments

6.5%

N/A

7.6%

N/A

8.6%

N/A

The Royal Parks

As the number of SCS employed by the Royal Parks is less than five, this information has not been disclosed due to reasons of confidentiality.

Performance Year 2005-06Performance Year 2006-07Performance Year 2007-08

SCS

Non-SCS

SCS

Non-SCS

SCS

Non-SCS

Number of staff eligible for non-consolidated performance payment

N/A

58

N/A

81

N/A

80

Number of staff who received a non-consolidated performance payment

N/A

16

N/A

33

N/A

39

Average value of non-consolidated performance payment

N/A

£510

N/A

£403

N/A

£418

The value of maximum non-consolidated payment

N/A

£510

N/A

£510

N/A

£750

Percentage of SCS paybill set aside for non-consolidated performance payments

6.5%

N/A

7.6%

N/A

8.6%

N/A