Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2010/09/23/public_sector_pay/

DWP's Harley tops government CIO pay list

9 gov IT managers paid more than PM

By Kable

Posted in Legal, 23rd September 2010 06:00 GMT

Nine government IT managers earn more than the prime minister, according to information released by the BBC.

Joe Harley, IT director general and chief information officer (CIO) for the Department for Work and Pensions, and John Suffolk, Cabinet Office CIO, have average salaries of £262,500 and £207,499 respectively.

They are the highest earning senior IT professionals in the public sector, according to the data released by the BBC's Panorama programme and compiled by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism based on some 2,400 Freedom of Information responses. Kable searched the data for job titles of senior IT managers.

David Cameron cut five per cent from the prime minister's salary when he took office in May, reducing it to £142,500. The coalition government has made the figure a benchmark for high pay. But out of 20 senior public sector IT professionals in the data, nine earn more than the prime minister, while two more are on the same salary.

The third highest earner after Harley and Suffolk is Christine Connelly, chief information officer at the Department of Health, whose average pay was £202,499 in 2009-10. She is followed by Andy Nelson and Phil Pavitt, who hold the same posts at the Ministry of Justice and HM Revenue and Customs. Nelson earns £192,499 whilst Pavitt is on an average salary of £182,499.

The highest-paid local authority IT professional in the data was David Cockburn, executive director of strategy, economic development and ICT at Kent County Council, while the best-paid IT manager for an NHS organisation was Kevin Jarrold, CIO of NHS London.

Francis Maude, the Cabinet Office minister responsible for reducing the public sector pay bill, told the BBC he questioned the rising salaries in the wider public sector and the idea that they were necessary to attract qualified people.

This article was originally published at Kable.

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