WIREDGOV

The call by MPs for action to minimise pay differentials between external and internal candidates for senior posts in the civil service has been welcomed by the FDA. The FDA is the union representing senior managers and professionals in the civil service.

FDA general Secretary Jonathan Baume said: “We welcome the Public Administration Select Committee’s (PASC’s) call for action on the two-tier pay system, which at the moment operates to disadvantage successful internal candidates for Senior Civil Service posts when compared to external recruits.

“The playing field is currently far from level. It is clearly unfair that those appointed from outside should be paid often tens of thousands of pounds more than those promoted from within the civil service.

“The evidence, as PASC found, is that on the whole, outside appointments do not perform better than career civil servants, and many leave the civil service relatively quickly.

“The FDA also endorses the committee’s recommendation that measures to grow talent internally need to be supported - and protected from the fiscal squeeze.”

Notes for editors

1. The FDA is the trade union and professional body representing 18,000 of the ’s senior civil and public servants. Our members include policy advisors, senior managers, tax inspectors, economists, statisticians, accountants, special advisers, government lawyers, diplomats, crown prosecutors and NHS managers.

2. Members in HMRC are represented by the Association of Revenue and Customs (ARC), a section of the FDA.

3. The FDA (formerly the First Division Association) should be referred to simply as "The FDA" and can be described as "the senior public servants’ union".

4.The Public Administration Select Committee’s report, Outsiders and Insiders: External Appointments to the Senior Civil Service can be found at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmpubadm/241/241.pdf

5. For further information contact:

· Jonathan Baume, FDA General Secretary, tel: 020 7401 5555 or 07976 951191.

· Oliver Rowe, Communications Manager, tel: 020 7401 5588 or 07590 838696.