Bexhill and Battle MP, Huw Merriman welcomed yesterday’s announcement on public sector pay increases.

During questions in the House of Commons, Treasury Minister, Liz Truss, announced further pay increases for public sector employees following the government’s decision, earlier this year, to scrap the pay caps that had been in place since 2010.

Around 1 million public workers across Britain, including teachers, armed forces personnel, prison officers, police, doctors and dentists will benefit from the pay rise.  Liz Truss said “For teachers earning under £35,000, it will mean a 3.5% pay rise, earning them an extra £800 a year. Police will see a 2% rise, with the average police constable on a £38,000 salary seeing a £760 pay rise. Prison officers will see a 2% rise and a 0.75% bonus, with extra for those who are new recruits. Junior doctors will get at least a 2% pay rise, and the hard-working people in our armed forces will receive a 2% pay rise and an additional 0.9% bonus.”

Huw said “I welcome these pay rises across the public sector. I have had a particular focus around school funding. Having worked closely with local schools, I am pleased that teachers will be getting a well-deserved pay rise which will be funded via an extra £500m from Central Government. With staff pay often accounting for 80% of school budgets, I was concerned that the extra £1.2bl which was delivered last summer would be used up. Whilst schools will have to pay the first 1%, the rest will come from fresh money. Having stood up in the House of Commons numerous times to ask the Chancellor and Education Secretary for this outcome, and having pushed the latter in private, I am really pleased that teachers will get a pay rise but the school budget will not be as impacted as I had feared.”