Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, how many (a) direct employees, (b) outsourced workers and (c) workers in agencies which report to the Law Officers' Departments are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The CPS currently employs one member of staff whose salary is below the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation. As a result of proposed changes to pay ranges, this employee will be paid a salary in excess of the living wage once the associated collective bargaining process has concluded. This will be backdated to 1 April 2014.
No direct employees of the Treasury Solicitor’s Office are paid less than the living wage. However, at 30 September 2014 The Treasury Solicitor’s Office had eleven temporary workers in London receiving less than the living wage although this position will change after 12 weeks of engagement in line with the Agency Workers legislation. At that point, their salary will increase to a higher rate of pay comparable to the rate of a direct employee. All other temporary workers are paid more than the living wage.
No direct employees or temporary workers employed by the remaining Law Officers' Departments are paid less than the living wage.
A complete record on the pay arrangements for staff employed by companies contracted to provide services to the Law Officers' Departments is not held and could not be provided without incurring a disproportionate cost.