In its evidence Government set out its intent to explore options for greater autonomy and financial freedoms for individual governing governors. The current NOMS systems are, by design, very centrally controlled. It is clear that every establishment has different circumstances and greater delegation could help with management of the different issues faced by different prisons. Delegation of some aspects of reward has the potential to be an important component of a more devolved approach overall, and to the benefit of our remit group. But there are risks if such delegation is introduced into a system that is not prepared for it, and is currently under stress. It is essential first to articulate the strategy and objectives for such delegation, develop the necessary change management processes and identify training requirements. Moving to the recommendations this year for pay, the report starts with the Fair and Sustainable pay structures, which is seen as the basis for the future. Fair and Sustainable was agreed by the parties when introduced and, while there are clearly issues with recruitment in some establishments, it currently appears to allow NOMS to recruit the numbers of staff they need nationally

This is the first report of the newly-constituted independent Pay Review Body for the Prison Service in England and Wales. It contains recommendations for the pay levels for governors, other operational managers, prison officers and support grades. It recommends that, with effect from 1 January 2002, there is a general increase in basic pay which represents an annual increase of 4.8 per cent, by raising existing rates by 6 per cent for a 15 month period. This will bring the annual award date into line with other pay review bodies. Other recommendations include the continuation of performance-related equity share arrangements for governors and other operational managers.