Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many officials employed by his Department, of each grade, have remained at that grade since 2010 but received a pay rise; and how much of a rise each such person at each such grade has received.

In the emergency budget on 22 June 2010 the Chancellor announced that the Civil Service, alongside the wider public sector, would be subject to a two year pay freeze from 2011-12, with those earning a full-time equivalent salary of £21,000 or less seeing an increase of at least £250, subject to continuing to make progression payments where these were contractual. In the 2011 Autumn Statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that public sector pay awards will average at one per cent for the two years following the pay freeze.

The pay freeze took effect in MoJ (excluding NOMS) from August 2011 and MoJ exited the pay freeze on 1 August 2013. MoJ's pay arrangements from August 2013 target actions at the most pressing issues to ensure our proposals remain affordable within the 1% public sector pay cap whilst aiming to reward high performers, better enable recruitment and talent retention, and protect the lowest paid staff by improving their starting salaries.

NOMS have separate pay bargaining arrangements, linked to the Prison Service Pay Review Body. From 2010/11 - 2011/12 under the pay freeze NOMS were unable to increase the pay scales within its structures. However, NOMS has continued to honour annual pay progression increases for eligible staff (those who have not reached the maxima of the pay scale).

In 2012, the Prison Service Pay Review Body and the Government endorsed NOMS' proposals to invest into reforming pay structures so that they are more fair and sustainable going forward. The review of NOMS' pay structures is based on data about the wider labour market (i.e., how levels of pay in NOMS compares to public and private sector labour markets), cost of living and inflation. From April 2012 new employees into NOMS, transfers into NOMS from Other Government Departments and those moving within NOMS on promotion are subject to the new pay and grading structures; those moving within NOMS on level transfer have an option to move across to the new structures.

The cost of providing information on the pay rise received by each official that has remained in grade and has received a pay rise in MOJ and NOMS would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.