Correspondence

SSRB remit letter from the Home Secretary: 2022 to 2023 (accessible version)

Published 6 December 2021

Home Secretary
2 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DF

Dr Martin Read CBE
Chair
Senior Salaries Review Body
Office of Manpower Economics
3rd Floor
Windsor House
50 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0TL
BY EMAIL ONLY

2 December 2021

Dear Dr Read

Senior Salaries Review Body (Police and Crime Commissioner) Remit 2022/23

A full review of Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) remuneration was due to take place in following the elections in 2020. As you are aware, the elections were postponed to May 2021 as a result of Covid-19. The elections have now taken place and I am writing to ask you to conduct a review of PCC remuneration.

I refer to the SSRB the following matters for consideration in the 2022/23 pay round:

  • whether the level of PCC pay is set at an appropriate level
  • if there is evidence that an uplift is required, how that should be applied
  • in your last review, the SSRB recommended that PCC salaries should automatically be increased in line with the pay award for local authority staff and that this link should continue annually until the next formal review of PCC pay. The Government did not accept this recommendation. However, I would welcome updated commentary and views on whether there is an appropriate mechanism to increase PCC pay between formal reviews of their remuneration. I ask that any options consider the need to avoid creating a disparity between PCCs and police officers whose pay increases are not automatic

The Government must balance the need to ensure fair pay for public sector workers with protecting funding for frontline services and ensuring affordability for taxpayers. I would ask that you make affordability a key consideration when making your recommendations.

I value the independent and expert advice of the Review Body and I look forward to receiving your report in May 2022.

Rt Hon Priti Patel MP