181. We will come back to that.
(Mr Everitt) Can I just mention that the cost of the board has gone up from £684,000 to £770,000 from 2001-02, I calculate that as 12.5%. At that time we had taken on three government directors as well. I think there were reasons for it.
182. Can I clarify whether or not that is a like for like comparison in terms of senior management?
(Mr Everitt) I am simply taking the costs in our accounts of the board remuneration to directors in total, non-executive as well as executive, for 2001-02.
Chairman: That is not an answer to the point. I wonder if we can have a note clarifying what the comparison like to like for senior management is. It is my understanding it is a 70% increase. If that is not the case I would be grateful to have that clarified.7
Mr Bacon
183. I have a copy of the report accounts and the page concerning the directors salaries, it is not particularly clear so if you can give us a note setting out all of remuneration for non-executives and executives for the period prior and after the part privatisation that would be very helpful.8 It appears there were three executive directors getting round £230,000. Tell me, given that your controllers had to go on strike to get their pay rise, asking Government for more money, do you think the pay rise and bonuses were excessive?
(Mr Everitt) My personal pay was settled at the time I joined the company.
184. I was not just talking about you, I was talking about everybody.
(Mr Everitt) So far as the second director is concerned, that contains an exceptional bonus which was paid and agreed prior to PPP and which triggered on the opening of Swanwick.
185. This was the £62,000 to Mr Chisholm?
(Mr Everitt) Part of the £62,000 was his general bonus and the second part, the £39,000, related to Swanwick.
186. Given what has happened, do you think these payments were excessive?
(Mr Everitt) The payment was contractual.
187. I did not ask about its legal status. I asked whether you thought this was excessive.
(Mr Everitt) It was certainly justified against the fact that he took hold of this project three years before.
188. If you could put it in the note. I certainly would have expected it to be legal. I was asking what your personal opinion was of them. If you could let us have a note on that, that would be very helpful.9 What is your current situation so far as shortage of controllers is concerned? How many are you short now?
(Mr Everitt) In Swanwick we are now in the winter season so we would not normally open as many sectors as we would in the summer. Our plans are focused on next summer and a considerable amount of work is going into the planning for next summer. On our current estimates we would think that we could be up to 12 controllers short for next summer, but we are working on that and our plan is not settled.
189. My question is about now, what are you at now?
(Mr Everitt) From the summer we were 40 short.
190. Could you say that again?
(Mr Everitt) Between 30 and 40 short this summer.
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7 Ev 29-30.
8 Ev 29-30, 32-33.
9 Ev 29-30.