division_name: Opposition Day &#8212; [2nd Allotted Day] &#8212; Regional Pay
motion: <p class="" pid="a.937.2/1" pwmotiontext="yes">I beg to move,</p>
  
  <p class="" pid="a.937.2/2" pwmotiontext="yes">That this House notes that the national pay review bodies have been an effective way of setting pay while allowing for appropriate regional and local variation consistent with the need to recruit, retain and motivate staff and to keep tight control of public spending; believes that seeking to alter existing frameworks for negotiating and setting public sector pay could increase costs for the taxpayer as well as exacerbating regional inequalities; further notes that unanswered questions about Scottish separation risk uncertainty for the thousands of staff employed in Scotland under UK-wide pay negotiations and bargaining mechanisms; further believes that co-ordinated national negotiations can also reduce uncertainty, help financial planning and reduce costly and time consuming bureaucracy, local negotiations and disputes; and opposes moves intended to weaken or dismantle efficient and stable arrangements for negotiating and setting public sector pay.</p>
  
  <p class="" pid="a.944.0/1" pwmotiontext="yes">I beg to move an amendment, to leave out from &#8220;House&#8221; to the end of the Question and add:</p>
  
  <p class="" pid="a.944.0/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;notes the importance of recruiting, retaining and motivating staff and keeping tight control of public spending; further notes that the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, the right hon. Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, first proposed a fair framework for local and regional flexibility for pay in his statement to the House of <phrase class="date" code="2003-06-09">9 June 2003</phrase>; supports the Government in asking the widely respected independent pay review bodies to consider how public sector pay can be made more responsive to local labour markets; and believes the Government is correct in awaiting the conclusions of those deliberations before making a decision on bringing forward proposals in respect of public sector pay&#8217;.</p>
  
  <p pid="a.978.10/1" pwmotiontext="yes">Question put (<phrase class="standing-order" code="31(2)" pwmotiontext="yes">Standing Order No. 31(2)</phrase>), That the original words stand part of the Question.</p>
  
  <p class="italic" pid="a.978.10/2" pwmotiontext="yes">The House divided:</p>
  
  <p pid="a.978.10/3" pwmotiontext="yes">Ayes 226, Noes 286.</p>