Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Mary Glindon Excerpts
Thursday 25th July 2024

(3 months, 2 weeks ago)

Commons Chamber
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Pat McFadden Portrait Pat McFadden
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This is my first but I suspect not my last exchange with the hon. Member. I have not seen a specific breakdown of this figure for Northern Ireland, but I can tell him that we take relations with Northern Ireland extremely seriously. That is why the Prime Minister went to Northern Ireland, as well as Scotland and Wales, on the weekend after the general election.

Mary Glindon Portrait Mary Glindon (Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend) (Lab)
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2. Whether he plans to take steps to consolidate the number of national pay bargaining units in the civil service.

Jeremy Corbyn Portrait Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North) (Ind)
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7. Whether he plans to take steps to consolidate the number of national pay bargaining units in the civil service.

Pat McFadden Portrait The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Pat McFadden)
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Yesterday, I met the civil service unions together with the new Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Queen’s Park and Maida Vale (Georgia Gould). We had a very positive discussion covering a whole range of issues. I made it clear that the days of Government Ministers waging culture wars against civil servants are over. Instead, we want a civil service that is motivated, valued and helps the Government to deliver their priorities. On the specific issue of pay, the Government will have more to say on civil service pay before the summer recess.

Mary Glindon Portrait Mary Glindon
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In 14 years, the Tory Government did nothing to tackle the ludicrous situation whereby there are over 200 pay bargaining units for civil servants across all Government Departments and agencies, a highly time-consuming and inefficient process that generates unfair pay disparities between people doing near-identical jobs in different Government offices. Will the Minister take this opportunity to look again at whether pay bargaining can be consolidated across the civil service, and will he agree to meet the Public and Commercial Services Union to discuss the advantages of such reforms?

Pat McFadden Portrait Pat McFadden
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We do value civil servants, and of course we want all public servants to be properly and fairly rewarded. As with any public expenditure, what is spent on pay has to be balanced against other priorities and fair to taxpayers as a whole. On meeting the PCS, yesterday, I met the general secretary of the PCS, as well as other civil service unions. I hope for a fruitful dialogue with them. Departments do have flexibility on pay. They can direct pay towards the needs of their own workforces. As I have said, we will have more to say about civil service pay before the summer recess.