Some top civil servants in the Isle of Man are earning up to £20,000 more than their UK counterparts, it has been claimed.

But others, lower down the pay scales, actually earn less.

The claims came from Julie Edge (Liberal Vannin, Onchan), who wanted Tynwald to set up an independent review of employment costs across government. She said it had not been looked at properly for 20 years.

But members rejected her call last week.

The House of Keys voted 14-10 against, while Legislative Council rejected her motion 4-3. Of the 10 MHKs who supported Mrs Edge, the only one who had served before the 2016 election was Chris Robertshaw (Douglas East), who does not hold a department position.

Mrs Edge said the public had given a ’clear message’ that they were concerned at inefficiency in government and previous reports, such as the Scope of Government review, had failed to address this.

She cited examples of wide discrepancies in pay that seemed to favour those on the higher scales, with differences reaching £20,000.

In the Isle of Man Treasury, she said, the rate for a senior executive officer was £57,570, compared with a maximum of £40,337 for the equivalent post in the UK. For some people on older scales, the difference was even higher, she added, reaching £22,500.

’Interestingly, a comparison of an administration officer, whose pay is one of the lowest grades within the civil service, sees only a difference of £4,000. I think that speaks for itself.’

She quoted government positions currently being advertised, including a human resources position on a scale of £55,000-£64,000.

That compared with the medical profession, where a speciality doctor’s position at Noble’s Hospital had a starting salary of £37,000, although it went up to a maximum of £70,000. A registered nurse is offered £25,000 to £31,800.

’We have got civil engineers working in the Department of Infrastructure receiving salaries of £35,000, well below their UK counterparts,’ she said. ’Yet an engineer in the MUA is receiving a salary above their UK counterparts.

’This is fundamentally one of the reasons we need a structural review.’

Most core service workers, such as teachers, policer officers, firefighters and medics, earn below £50,000 and are linked to UK terms and conditions, she said.

The government’s staffing budget came to £358 million but Mrs Edge claimed it had ’no idea’ of the precise number of people it was paying, due to the use of consultants and agency staff.

All government Ministers members voted against the motion, but the only person to speak, other than seconder Chris Robertshaw, was David Ashford (Douglas North), who is a member the Cabinet Office but not a minister.

He said Mrs Edge’s motion was too open-ended. It did not set out any parameters for the review, he argued, and failed to define what employment costs were and whether it included pensions.

’I don’t quite get what is wanting to be looked at here,’ he said. ’It is so wide, to be honest, that it comes across as rather meaningless.’

He also argued that the Equality Bill meant wage structures would come under examination in the near future.

Earlier in the sitting, Mrs Edge asked Policy and Reform Minister Chris Thomas whether he would review the policy on retired public servants, on pensions, who return to work for government. She said former civil servants being engaged as consultants it could put off younger people trying to find work with the government.

Mr Thomas said there were no specific plans for a policy rethink, but added: ’As always, all policies are continuously under review.’

Voting on Mrs Edge’s motion:

House of Keys. For: Allinson, Bettison, Caine, Callister, Corlett, Edge, Hooper, Moorhouse, Perkins, Robertshaw. Against: Ashford, Baker, Beecroft, Boot, Cannan, Cregeen, Harmer, Malarkey, Peake, Quayle, Shimmins, Skelly, Watterson (Speaker), Thomas.

Legislative Council: For: Anderson, Coleman, Turner. Against: Corkish, Cretney, Crookall, Henderson.