Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what pay rise will be given to special advisers for the 2025-26 pay round; and whether it will be subject to negotiation with the First Division Association trade union.

In line with the wider Civil Service, there is no contractual entitlement to an annual increase in pay. The government’s policy is that a pay award will be considered annually, and any such award will be linked to the approach taken for the Senior Civil Service. No decisions about a pay award for special advisers for 2025-26 have yet been made.

There are currently no collective bargaining agreements with the FDA for Special Advisers.