Home Office hit with fine over salary for child abuse inquiry chair
The department broke the rules when negotiating the 拢185,000 salary of Professor Alexis Jay and that of panel members in 2015/16.
Friday 14 July 2017 17:59, UK
The Home Office was fined more than 拢360,000 for breaking the rules when negotiating the salary for the head of the child sex abuse inquiry, it has been revealed.
Professor Alexis Jay was appointed to head the inquiry last August, but the department secured retrospective approval for her salary.
The Home Office's latest accounts show it breached the "control process" when negotiating her salary and each of the four panel members' in 2015/16.
Professor Jay took over in the wake of Dame Lowell Goddard's departure, and gets a salary of £185,000.
Under rules introduced in 2010, all appointments that require ministerial approval and have salaries above £142,500 must be agreed by the chief secretary to the Treasury.
The Home Office denied the fine related to the appointment of Dame Lowell, who quit last year.
She received costs for rent and utilities, including flights for her and her family to and from New Zealand while she was head of the inquiry.
A Government spokeswoman said: "The Treasury has the power to consider fines for departments who breach agreed spending control processes, including those relating to senior salary approval.
"The Home Office paid an exemplary fine of £366,900 after securing retrospective approval from the Treasury in relation to breaching the control process in negotiating the salaries of the Chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse as well as each of the four panel members.
"This fine relates to the appointment of Professor Alexis Jay as IICSA Chair in August 2016 and the panel members' salary pay that was agreed by the Home Office for 2015/16.
"The Home Office have since reviewed appointment procedures to prevent further such breaches."