Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, who is responsible for agreeing salary increases for executive, GP and lay members of a clinical commissioning group's governing body; and whether NHS England or his Department is required to sign off salary increases above a specified amount or proportion of existing salary.

Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are independent statutory employing organisations, which operate their own remuneration committee arrangements and are responsible for the determination of remuneration levels for the majority of their employees.

For the most senior appointments made by CCGs, including Accountable Officer appointments, there are additional processes to be observed, introduced in June 2015, which require that for any senior employee where remuneration is proposed or anticipated to exceed £142,500 per annum, pro-rata, CCGs are required to consult Department of Health Ministers. This requires the CCG Remuneration Committee concerned to submit a formal business case for scrutiny, review and a recommendation to be made by NHS England, before submission to the Department for Ministerial consideration.

If the appointment does not exceed £142,500 per annum, pro-rata, then no further approvals are required and the CCG Remuneration Committee can determine the remuneration for the senior appointment concerned in accordance with published remuneration guidance which has been in operation since 2012/13. Whilst recognising that CCGs are independent statutory employing organisations, guidance for CCGs in this regard strongly encourages compliance with these arrangements and the need to ensure value for taxpayers in making any senior appointment.

Guidance is published on the remuneration of officers in the CCG:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Remuneration-guidance-final.pdf