GOVERNMENT risks grinding to a halt as “chronic” pay issues mar Civil Service morale, MPs warned today.

The Public Accounts Committee said pay has been in long-term decline at almost all levels, coupled with disparities between government departments among staff at the same grade level, with low pay typically why recruitment campaigns fail.

The committee urged the Cabinet Office to set out plans to address declining real-terms pay and the variation between roles paid at the same grade, warning recruitment is also taking too long — an average of 99 days to hire new staff and an additional 171 days for candidates needing the highest level of security clearance.