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Home Office castigated over bonuses Home Office castigated over bonuses
(7 months later)
The Home Office has been branded irresponsible by MPs for paying out a total of £6.5m in bonuses to its staff.The Home Office has been branded irresponsible by MPs for paying out a total of £6.5m in bonuses to its staff.
A total of 11,672 bonuses were paid in 2012/13 to around 40% of A total of 11,672 bonuses were paid in 2012/13 to around 40% of staff at the Home Office, which employs around 24,000 staff including agency workers, a report by the home affairs select committee said.
staff at the Home Office, which employs around 24,000 staff including
agency workers, a report by the home affairs select committee said.
This equated to a mean bonus of £559, equivalent to 1.7% of the median Home Office salary of £32,799, the group of MPs added.This equated to a mean bonus of £559, equivalent to 1.7% of the median Home Office salary of £32,799, the group of MPs added.
The committee commended the Home Office permanent secretary, Mark Sedwill, The committee commended the Home Office permanent secretary, Mark Sedwill, for not taking a bonus, although 18 senior civil servants within the department did receive one. No further bonuses should be paid, the group of MPs added.
for not taking a bonus, although 18 senior civil servants within the Chairman Keith Vaz MP said: "It is irresponsible that the Home Office has continued to pay big bonuses despite presiding over many failures … we should end the culture of rewarding failure."
department did receive one. The Home Office – which is responsible for immigration and passports, drugs policy, crime policy and counter-terrorism – was required in the 2010 sSpending review to make cut savings of 23% in real terms by 2014-15. In the 2013 spending round the department committed to further cuts in real terms of 6.1% in resource spending between 2014-15 and 2015-16.
No further bonuses should be paid, the group of MPs added. The committee's report into the work of the permanent secretary said: "With the current financial pressures on the Home Office and the increased public scrutiny of bonuses it is irresponsible of the Home Office to continue to pay out very significant sums in staff bonuses despite poor performance in many areas.
Chairman Keith Vaz MP said: "It is irresponsible that the "We recommend that no further bonuses should be paid until a thorough review of performance against the whole range of Home Office activity has been undertaken."
Home Office has continued to pay big bonuses despite presiding over many A Home Office spokesman said: "The Home Office is succeeding in cutting crime, reducing immigration and securing the UK from terrorism at the same time as reducing expenditure.
failures … we should end the culture of rewarding failure." "Staff who make exceptional contributions to the work of the Home Office are eligible for special one-off payments – the majority of staff given payments during 2012/13, the year of the London Olympics, received less than £500."
The Home Office – which is responsible for immigration and passports, Sedwill took up the post of permanent secretary in February 2013 and was previously director general at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the prime minister's special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
drugs policy, crime policy and counter-terrorism – was required in the 2010 sSpending review to make cut savings of 23% in real terms by 2014-15. Elsewhere, the committee hit out at police procurement – the management of purchasing goods for the service – as "dismal". The group of MPs said the department had the "sketchiest idea" of what was happening on police procurement, which it was relying on to deliver much of its financial savings.
In the 2013 spending round the department committed to further cuts
in real terms of 6.1% in resource spending between 2014-15 and 2015-16.
The committee's report into the work of the permanent secretary
said: "With the current financial pressures on the Home Office and the
increased public scrutiny of bonuses it is irresponsible of the Home
Office to continue to pay out very significant sums in staff bonuses
despite poor performance in many areas.
"We recommend that no further bonuses should be paid until a
thorough review of performance against the whole range of Home Office
activity has been undertaken."
A Home Office spokesman said: "The Home Office is succeeding in
cutting crime, reducing immigration and securing the UK from terrorism
at the same time as reducing expenditure.
"Staff who make exceptional contributions to the work of the Home
Office are eligible for special one-off payments – the majority of staff
given payments during 2012/13, the year of the London Olympics,
received less than £500."
Sedwill took up the post of permanent secretary in February 2013 and was previously director general at the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the prime minister's special
representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Elsewhere, the committee hit out at police procurement – the management of purchasing goods for the service – as "dismal".
The group of MPs said the department had the "sketchiest idea" of
what was happening on police procurement, which it was relying on to
deliver much of its financial savings.