Public sector pay

That this House regrets public sector pay is 2.1 per cent below its 2010 level in real terms reflecting a decade of lost pay; notes the Chancellor's commitment at the Autumn Budget 2021 that public sector pay awards for 2022-23 would be fair and affordable; notes the Office for Budget Responsibility's Economic and Fiscal Outlook March 2022 forecast of CPI inflation reaching 8.7 per cent in the last quarter of 2022; recognises concerns from unions that the NHS risks losing thousands of low-paid staff to the private sector unless wages increase significantly; further notes with concern the Government submissions to independent public sector pay review bodies, including of 3 per cent for health workers and 3 per cent for the majority of school teachers; notes the the joint trade union submission calling for an 'inflation-busting' award for NHS workers and joint trade union submissions seeking 'undifferentiated pay increases for all teachers and school leaders that are significantly higher than RPI inflation'; further notes the 800,000 signature petition presented to Parliament of 22 July 2021 supporting a 15 per cent NHS pay rise; further recognises the PCS union indicative ballot result of 97 per cent support for a 10 per cent pay award in the civil service; highlights the Office for Budget Responsibility's confirmation that the current budget is in surplus by £31.6 billion; and calls on the Government to make good on its commitment to a fair award by informing government departments and pay review body chairs it is making the funds necessary for an inflation-proofed public sector pay award in 2022-23.