(The Secretary
of State for the Home Department): The fifth
annual report of the Police Remuneration Review Body was published
today. In line with our letter setting the Body’s remit it has made
recommendations on pay and allowances for police officers at all
ranks in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The government has
considered the recommendations of the report insofar as they relate
to police officers in England and Wales, which the Home Office is
responsible for. We wish to express thanks to the Chair and members
of the Review Body for their work on the report and pay
recommendations.
Last year, the government announced the largest pay rise in
nearly a decade for almost a million public sector workers.
Building on this, this year the government has accepted in full
the recommendations of the PRRB that a consolidated increase of
2.5% should be awarded to all ranks at all pay points. It has
also accepted a corresponding increase to London Weighting and
the Dog Handlers' Allowance and an increase in the on-call
allowance for officers in the federated ranks from £15 to £20 for
each 24-hour period on-call. These will be implemented with
effect from 1 September 2019.
We asked the PRRB to review the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s
proposals for progression pay for police apprentices. The PRRB
recommended that subject to further review in the next pay round,
no change is made to the current arrangements for apprentice
progression. The government has accepted this recommendation.
Thanks to the government’s balanced approach to public finances –
getting debt falling as a share of our economy, while investing
in our vital services and keeping taxes low – we are able to
continue our flexible approach to pay policy, allowing us to
attract and retain the best people for our police forces.
We consider all pay awards in light of wider pressures on public
spending. Public sector pay needs to be fair both for public
sector workers and the taxpayer. Around a quarter of all public
spending is spent on pay and we need to ensure that our public
services remain affordable for the future. In addition to their
pay, police officers continue to benefit from defined benefit
pensions, which are amongst the most generous available.
It is also vital that our world class public services continue
modernising to meet rising demand for the incredible services
they provide, which improve our lives and keep us safe.
