Correspondence

Remit letter for Police Remuneration Review Body 2022 Northern Ireland (accessible)

Published 28 January 2022

Applies to Northern Ireland

Minister’s Office Block B
Castle Buildings
Stormont Estate
Ballymiscaw
Belfast BT4 3SG
Tel: 028 9076 5725
DOJ.MinistersOffice@justice-ni.gov.uk

Our ref: SUB-0021-2022

Zoë Billingham Chair
Police Remuneration Review Body Office of Manpower Economics
3rd Floor, Windsor House 50 Victoria Street LONDON
SW1H 0TL

24 January 2022

Dear Zoë,

First, I would like to thank the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) for the work undertaken in support of the 2021/22 pay process. I can confirm that I approved the increase to the Northern Ireland Transitional Allowance for all Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers and an uplift to pay point 0 of the constable scale as contained in the 7th report. I have invited all relevant pay remits from employers and await receipt of these. Once remits have completed the approvals process I will advise you as soon as possible so that the Northern Ireland report may be published on your website.

I should be grateful if the PRRB would now commence its annual review in respect of officers of the PSNI for 2022/23, in conjunction with that for police officers in England and Wales.

• I have had sight of the Home Secretary’s remit letter for officers in England and Wales and note her position. I remain in favour of maintaining the principle of broad alignment on police pay between the different jurisdictions and therefore seek your consideration as to how to apply the pay award for 2022/23 for all police officers in the PSNI. In addition, your consideration is sought regarding the regular elements of the Northern Ireland Transitional Allowance (NITA) and Dog Handlers’ Allowance.

• The Northern Ireland Policing Board (NIPB) has also raised the issue of the pay scale for Assistant Chief Constables (ACCs) in Northern Ireland, following a decline in the number of applicants for the recent ACC competition. The Board is currently considering the outcome of a review of these issues and will be in a position to present its findings to you during the evidence gathering process. While recognising this would represent a departure from the longstanding desire for broad alignment, I have taken the view that it would be appropriate to seek your consideration, following their presentation of this evidence, on whether it is appropriate to consider a locally agreed salary band for the ACC position in the PSNI.

• The PSNI recently provided assistance to their colleagues in Scotland, during COP 26 in Glasgow. The Police Federation for Northern Ireland (PFNI) is now asking that mutual aid payments and allowances payable to PSNI officers during such aid are in line with payments made to other UK police forces. PSNI is currently the only UK police force which adheres to the former “Hertfordshire Agreement” for Mutual Aid, whereas we understand all other forces in the UK have moved to a revised agreement from around 2014 following the Winsor review. While assistance is relatively infrequent, it seems an opportune time to consider the issue given that PSNI sits outside the revised arrangements, yet engages in requests for assistance from other parts of the UK. With this in mind, I would be grateful for your recommendations on this matter.

With regards to the Review of Allowances, which incorporated the On-Call, Dog Handlers, Motor Vehicle and the Northern Ireland Transitional Allowance as well as the Competence Related Threshold Payment we can advise that this exercise commenced in October 2021 and it is anticipated the final report will be provided to the Department in the coming weeks. Evidence regarding the outcome of this review will be provided to the PRRB in the course of both written and oral evidence sessions.

As in previous years, I would also invite you to have regard to PRRB’s standing terms of reference. While the Northern Ireland Public Sector Pay Policy has not yet been set for 2022/23, it will be important to take this and wider affordability issues into consideration.

I can confirm that, pending formal publication of your report, stakeholders received a copy of the PRRB’s last report, shared in confidence on 1 September 2021, to inform preparation of their written evidence.

We would welcome receipt of your eighth report and recommendations by the end of June 2022. I look forward to working with you and your members in support of the process for the year ahead.

Yours sincerely,

NAOMI LONG MLA

Minister of Justice