Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Civil Service Pay Remit Guidance: Addendum Guidance 2023/24, updated 2 June 2023, if he will take steps to encourage the management of National Highways to award the fixed non-consolidated payment of £1,500 to its employees.

National Highways operates under different terms to the Civil Service, with its staff made up of Public rather than Civil Servants. A decision on whether to make a cost-of-living payment to staff is one for National Highways. However, last year National Highways awarded a 5% pay award with larger increases weighted towards lower paid staff. This was more than double the 2% (3% max) the Civil Service received.

Given the pay award National Highways provided last year, along with the offer that has been put forward for the 2023/24 pay deal, National Highways made the decision it was unaffordable to offer the £1500 in addition to its annual pay award.