Written questions by Dewhirst.

With reference to the policy paper entitled Fixing the Foundations: Public Spending Audit 2024-25, published on 29 July 2024, CP 1133, what estimate his Department has made of the total cost of civil service salaries in the (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26 financial year (i) before and (ii) after the decisions on (A) civil service pay increases and (B) the size of the civil service set out in that policy paper.

Pay for civil servants outside of the Senior Civil Service is not set centrally; rather, departments and bodies have freedom to make decisions on pay within the parameters of the Pay Remit Guidance published annually by the Cabinet Office. The Pay Remit Guidance for 2024/5 can be found using the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pay-remit-guidance-2024-to-2025/civil-service-pay-remit-guidance-2024-to-2025 The pay remit sets a percentage maximum by which bodies can increase their average paybill. Each department will need to consider how they intend to apply the award to their workforce, before implementing it. The final cost of the civil service pay award for 2024/25 and estimates for 2025/26 will not be confirmed until this is concluded. Data on the size of the Civil Service is available through the ONS Public Sector Employment publication, and can be found using the following link: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel

How many days a week staff in the Office for Value for Money will be allowed to work from home; and how many staff that Office will employ.

The Office for Value for Money (OVfM) is staffed by civil servants with a range of professional disciplines, from within HM Treasury and other partner organisations. In line with Civil Service expectations, staff will spend 60% of their time working from the office. The OVfM is a time-limited team within HM Treasury. We expect around 20 staff to be working within the office.

With reference to page 15 of HM Treasury's document entitled Fixing the foundations: Public spending audit 2024-25, published on 29 July 2024, for how long the Office for Value for Money will exist; and what its remit will be.

The Office for Value for Money (OVfM) will have two primary roles. First, to provide targeted interventions, working with departments, so that value for money governs every decision government makes. Second, to recommend system reforms to ensure any changes support the government’s missions and deliver value for money. The OVfM will be a time-limited team. No final decision has been taken on when to disband the office, but its vision is to leave a legacy of concrete, embedded improvements to spending controls, to minimise the risk of poor value for money in the future.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of (a) the junior doctors pay settlement and (b) other public sector pay rises on (i) the forecast rate of inflation and (ii) wage expectations in other sectors.

The impact of both the junior doctors’ pay offer and the public sector pay awards announced on 29 July 2024 is expected to be limited.

With reference to page 6 of HM Treasury's document entitled Fixing the foundations: Public spending audit 2024-25, published on 29 July 2024, whether it is his policy that average public sector pay excluding pension provision should equal private sector pay.

Pay for most frontline workforces - including nurses, teachers, armed forces and police officers - is set through an independent Pay Review Body (PRB) process. The PRBs consider a range of evidence when forming their recommendations, including the need to recruit, retain and motivate suitably able and qualified people; the financial circumstances of Government; the Government's policies for improving public services; and the Government's inflation target. They consider the whole remuneration package of those working in the public sector when forming their recommendations, including pensions.

With reference to page 6 of HM Treasury's document entitled Fixing the foundations: Public spending audit 2024-25, published on 29 July 2024, what is the gross cost of the civil service pay award for 2024-25.

Pay for civil servants outside of the Senior Civil Service is not set centrally; rather, departments and bodies have freedom to make decisions on pay within the parameters of the Pay Remit Guidance published annually by the Cabinet Office. The Pay Remit Guidance for 2024/5 can be found using the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pay-remit-guidance-2024-to-2025/civil-service-pay-remit-guidance-2024-to-2025 The pay remit sets a percentage maximum by which bodies can increase their average paybill. Each department will need to consider how they intend to apply the award to their workforce, before implementing it. The final cost of the civil service pay award for 2024/25 will not be confirmed until this is concluded.