Garry Graham, Prospect deputy general secretary, said;

“Civil servants have seen years of real terms pay cuts and now their pay rises are even being left behind by other areas of the public sector.

“There has not been a government in peacetime so reliant on the hard work of the civil service and others covered by the governments pay remit guidance. So while this admission that proper pay rises are needed is long overdue, we will believe it when we see it. As a union Prospect will hold whoever is in government to account for their promises on public sector pay.

“The first step should be to make sure that departments’ and agencies’ business cases to pay their staff more than 2% this year are accepted. This will begin to tackle to tackle the recruitment, retention and other problems that have been caused by years of a failed pay policy in the civil service.”