I am today announcing the government’s decision on pay for the National Crime Agency (NCA) for 2024/25.

The government received the NCA Remuneration Review Body (NCARRB) tenth report on pay for NCA officers designated with operational powers at grades lower than Deputy Director for the NCA on 20 June 2024. This will be laid before Parliament today and published on Gov.uk.

I would like to thank the Chair and members of the Review Body for their work on gathering evidence from the NCA, the Home Office, HM Treasury, and the Trade Unions, resulting in their detailed, comprehensive report. The Government values the independent expertise and insight of NCARRB and takes on board the useful advice and principles set out in response to my predecessor’s remit letter of 20 December 2023.

This Government is committed to supporting the NCA in its fight against serious and organised crime (SOC). As leader of the SOC Law Enforcement system, disrupting and dismantling the most harmful organised crime groups, a strengthened NCA needs to be able to set clear strategic and operational direction and develop shared capabilities to drive efficiencies. A strong pay framework is vital to the NCA being able to deliver this role and maintaining its operational performance.

The transformation of the NCA is vital to the Agency’s ability in tackling the rapidly evolving and complex SOC threats currently being faced. Part of this transformation includes empowering the Agency’s ability to attract, recruit and retain the skilled workforce it needs, particularly those with technological and specialist skills, e.g. – forensic scientists and cyber security experts.

The recommendations for 2024/25 are as follows:

1. A redesign of the Agency’s job architecture and an evaluation of all roles to consider which grades and posts are comparable to police officers and which are comparable to the civil service, police staff or the private sector.

2. A consolidated pay award of 5% for all NCA officers’ Grades 1-6. The spot rates for Grades 1 to 5 and the minima and maxima of the standard pay ranges for Grades 1 to 6 should be raised by 5%.

3. A 5% increase to the London and South-East Weighting Allowance.

4. A review of the allowances of NCA officers in Northern Ireland, with a view to those NCA officers who are subject to similar risks to PSNI officers receiving the same allowance as PSNI officers.

After careful consideration, I have decided to take the following approach:

• Fully accept recommendations two and three: This headline 5% award and associated location allowance uplift will support and underpin the NCA’s ambition to recruit and retain the skilled workforce it requires.

• Partially accept recommendations one and four: Whilst I am supportive of the central premise of these recommendations, namely reform of the existing pay structure within the NCA, measures are already underway to develop a set of comprehensive proposals which the government will seek to implement in a timely fashion.

In reaching these decisions, I have given due consideration to a number of factors including the value NCA officers give to the public by protecting them against the threat of serious and organised crime, affordability, and delivering value for the taxpaying public.

The Government endeavours to balance the need to ensure fair pay for public sector workers with protecting funding for frontline services and ensuring affordability for taxpayers. This award represents a significant increase, with this year’s 5% boost building on last year’s increase of 7%. The award will be funded within the NCA’s existing budget, and I am confident it will greatly support the Agency’s efforts to eradicate the most dangerous organised crime groups operating within and against the UK.