Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has made representations to the Information Commissioner's Office management and directors on ensuring that terms of pay and conditions for staff of that office are being upheld and that wage increases are proportionate for all staff; and if he will make a statement.

Under the terms of the Framework Agreement between the ICO and the DCMS, the Information Commissioner has responsibility for determining the pay and conditions of their staff, including their Executive Team. In doing this, they are required to comply with overarching government pay guidance, including on pay restraint.

The July 2015 budget announced an average 1% pay award for public sector workforces from 2016/17. This is set out in Civil Service Pay Guidance, which is issued each year following negotiations with the Trade Unions.

Pay restraint is one of the many difficult choices the Government has had to make to put the public finances back on track and makes a significant contribution to protecting jobs and maintaining public services.