Whitehall chief: Scrap civil service pay freeze

Higher salaries should be available to attract business leaders into the civil service, says one of Whitehall’s most senior figures.

Sir David Normington, who says that higher salaries will tackle a dearth of top level talent, disregarded a government-backed proposal to give the prime minister a larger role in selecting senior officials.

The involvement of ministers in the appointment of permanent secretaries has resulted in tensions between Westminster and Whitehall since the coalition took office more than three years ago.