Rewarding Failure

In the rarefied world of Whitehall, where reality has yet to cross the threshold of those hallowed corridors, rewarding failure is second nature to the politicians and civil servants who inhabit its warrens and bunkers.

Therefore it should come as no surprise to learn that, following hot on the heals of Richard Summersgill receiving a CBE and Paul Gray being re employed, staff in HMRC who lost the personal details of 25 million families have received a £19M performance-related bonus.

Some of the payments, worth up to £8K each, were made at the end of November; just after Datagate.

I would note that HMRC has publicly stated that there have been seven data breaches since April 2005 (there may well of course be others that have yet to be discovered/announced).

The good news for the staff of HMRC is that the payout is 70% up on the previous year, which was a mere £11M.

Value for money indeed, and doubtless well "deserved"!

Figures released show 220 senior HMRC staff received bonuses for 2006-7 worth £1.7M, an average of £8K each.

Nearly 38,000 other workers received bonuses worth £17.2M, an average of £453 each.

Those of you who are worried that, given the data losses and shambles over tax credits, these payments are not actually deserved need not fear.

Jane Kennedy, a Treasury minister, said that the increase was the result of a "pay assimilation exercise" after HM Customs and Excise and Inland Revenue merged in 2005.

In other words it's not a bonus at all.

So that's alright then, isn't it?

It is, after all, only taxpayers' money!

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