31.01.14
MPs slam Home Office bonus culture
Home Office bonuses are “irresponsible”, the home affairs committee has stated.
A new report into the work of the permanent secretary criticised the decision to pay a total of £6.5m in bonuses to around 40% of staff at the Home Office. That represents a mean sum of £559, which is equivalent to 1.7% of the median Home Office salary, £32,799.
Committee chair 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.”
The MPs’ report stated: “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.”
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(Library image of Home Office headquarters on Marsham Street: Steve Parsons/PA)