Average salary and allowance for Indian Analyst Programmers in London in May

The request was partially successful.

Dear UK Border Agency,

Following on from my FOI requests 1193 and 15968 (http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/av...), can I request the average (i.e. mean) salary and average (i.e. mean) allowance from tier 2 ICT used CoS for Indian Nationals with SOC 2132, job title of "ANALYST PROGRAMMER" or "Analyst Programmer", and a sponsor work address in inner London for the month of May 2010, please?

I believe from my internal review that the information has already been collected and is available, but that disclosing information from individual applications would breach section (41)(1)(b) and be actionable breach of confidence. As I want the average and not individual values, I hope the FOI can calculate this for me.

From the response to my FOI request 1193, there were about 80 used CoS fitting the criteria. Hopefully, this number is sufficiently small so that the information can be supplied within the £600/3.5 day limit.

If there are any restrictions which prevent you from providing this information, then please advise me on how I may best use an FOI request to find out more about the extent that allowances are used. This would prevent me from making multiple failed requests.

The recent Migration Advisory Committee's report on the cap said:
"In the context of limits on workrelated migration, consideration should also be given to awarding zero points for allowances under the PBS.

Our suggestion to alter the recognition given under the PBS to often tax-free allowances used by intra-company transferees will help to ensure that such migrants make a full contribution to the UK Exchequer"

I believe it is important to highlight how the ICT rules on allowances are used so that the government will follow the MAC's recommendation.

Yours faithfully,

Gary Burgess

Freedom Of Information Team ( IND ), UK Border Agency

Dear Gary Burgess

Thank you for your e-mail dated 8th December concerning the above matter(54053). We are currently dealing with your enquiry and will respond shortly.

Kind Regards

UKBA
FOI Team

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UK Border Agency

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Subject: Freedom of Information Request - Ref. 17049/1313

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Dear UK Border Agency,

There seems to have been a problem receiving the response that was sent earlier for FOI Ref. 17049/1313.

I got:
======================================================
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2011 14:03:24 -0000
Subject: Freedom of Information Request - Ref. 17049/1313

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Yours faithfully,

Gary Burgess

UK Border Agency

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[email address]

Dear Freedom Of Information Team ( IND ),

There seems to have been a problem receiving the response that was sent earlier for FOI Ref. 17049/1313.

I got:
======================================================
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2011 14:03:24 -0000
Subject: Freedom of Information Request - Ref. 17049/1313

has not been delivered because the content type is not permitted.

Scenarios/Dump (Text Analyzer)/TEXTANALYZER_FILTER: The operation
completed successfully.
Scenarios/Dump (Text Analyzer)/TEXTANALYZER_FILTER: The operation
completed successfully.
Scenarios/Dump (Text Analyzer)/TEXTANALYZER_FILTER: The operation
completed successfully.
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completed successfully.
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completed successfully.
Scenarios/Dump (Text Analyzer)/TEXTANALYZER_FILTER: The operation
completed successfully.
Scenarios/Dump (Text Analyzer)/TEXTANALYZER_FILTER: The operation
completed successfully.

We cannot receive/send computer programs and certain other types of
attachments into/from this system.

The sender has also been notified.
======================================================

Yours faithfully,

Gary Burgess

Freedom Of Information Team ( IND ), UK Border Agency

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Burgess,
Our apologies for the delay, we have been having problems with our .pdf
writer. Here is another copy of the letter.
Kind regards

FOI Team
UK Border Agency

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Employment, Freedom of Information,

1 Attachment

<<1313 Final Response.pdf>>
Dear Mr Burgess

Please see the attached response in answer to your request for
information.

Kind Regards

Daniela Walker
Freedom of Information Team
North East, Yorkshire and the Humber Region
UK Border Agency
PO Box 3468
Sheffield S3 8WA

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Dear Daniela Walker,

thank you for the response.

For the answer below:
<quote>£34,442.86 is the average salary for May 2010 for the following criteria - Tier 2 ICT
Used Certificates of Sponsorship for Indian Nationals with SOC 2132 and job title
either "ANALYST PROGRAMMER" or "Analyst Programmer" based on addresses
within inner London.</quote>

can you confirm if the £34,442.86 average salary is the average of just the salary component or the average of the total combined salary and allowance "earnings", please?

I should point out for those following this FOI request that the average paid salary for Analyst Programmers in London from research by Salary Services Limited (SSL) for Q1 2010 was £37996. The UKBA based the section j code of practice salaries on SSL's research from summer 2008.

For the following answer:
<quote>I can confirm that we do hold information which you are interested in about allowances but have estimated that the cost of answering your request would exceed the £600 limit and we are therefore unable to comply with it. We are unable to provide data pertaining to the average allowances as data recorded is not linked to a static data set. The data is recorded in free text format and therefore inaccurate. To obtain the information, we would have to cross-check all related records manually which would exceed the £600 cost limit.</quote>

can you explain what "is not linked to a static data set" means, please?

If the information is available but would require someone to cross-check all related records manually, then what size of sample would be sufficiently small to allow this to be done within the £600 cost limit, please?
Would it be possible to start the process and do as many of the approximately 80 records as possible and give me the average salary and allowances from that sample within the £600 cost limit?

Yours sincerely,

Gary Burgess

Dear Daniela Walker,

I have had a look at the guidance and I think I have found the answer to my first question. The "Gross pay in pound sterling" entered on the certificate in SMS should include the gross allowances i.e. it is the sum of allowances plus the normal salary. The "Gross allowances in pound sterling" is also entered in a separate field and there is also a separate text field for "Summary of all allownaces".

So the £34,442.86 average salary would include allowances. Is that correct?

Yours sincerely,

Gary Burgess

Employment, Freedom of Information,

Dear Mr Burgess,

Thank you for your email of 6 January.

I will make some initial enquiries and will contact you shortly.

Kind Regards

Daniela Walker
Freedom of Information Team
North East, Yorkshire & Humber Region
UK Border Agency
PO Box 3468
Sheffield S3 8WA

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Employment, Freedom of Information,

Dear Mr Burgess,

I am writing in response to your emails of 6 January.

In our response of 4 January (FOI 17049/1313), we provided you with statistical information based on salaries only. The information we hold is based on the information provided by the sponsor.

We referred in our response of 4 January to a "static data set". I am sorry for the confusion. We were referring to data that can be readily and accurately accessed from our management information and converted into a reportable format. In this case, we were unable to provide you with information on allowances because the data is recorded in free text format.

You asked the following question:

Would it be possible to start the process and do as many of the approximately 80 records as possible and give me the average salary
and allowances from that sample within the £600 cost limit?

We hold information on average salary separate to allowances and were unable to provide you with one total that includes both the salary and allowances. Can you please clarify whether you are requiring this type of breakdown?

Kind Regards

Daniela Walker
Freedom of Information Team
North East, Yorkshire and the Humber Region
UK Border Agency
PO Box 3468
Sheffield S3 8WA

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Dear Daniela Walker,
From the SMS user manual, I can see that "Gross pay in pound sterling", "Gross allowances in pound sterling" and "Summary of all allowances" are entered.
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/siteco...

As far as I can understand from the sponsor guidance, the gross pay should include gross allowances so I think the average salary that has been provided already includes allowances. Can you confirm this?

I would like an average of the gross allowances entered on the CoS for the same sample, but I appreciate that this would require some manual steps as the information is not easily accessible from the management information. Could this be done for a sub set of the CoS matching the criteria within the cost limit?

Yours sincerely,

Gary Burgess

Employment, Freedom of Information,

Dear Mr Burgess,

Thank you for your email of 6 January.

I would like to further clarify your request for information. Section 1(3) of the Freedom of Information Act provides that a public authority need not comply with a request for information unless any further information reasonably required to identify and locate the information is supplied.

We have previously been unable to provide you with statistical information on salary and allowances because the information was not readily accessible from our management systems. Our Management Information team have been working on rectifying this and believe that they are now able to extract statistical information on salary and allowances electronically.

I have logged your enquiry of 6 January as a new request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, FOI ref. 1326, because we have been unable to disclose information on salary and allowances previously. Can you please clarify in full the information you wish to receive and I will confirm with colleagues whether we can provide you with the breakdown you require.

When you provide this information we will aim to send you a full response to your request within twenty working days of its receipt. I look forward to hearing from you shortly. However, please note that if I do not receive appropriate clarification of your request within three months from the date of this letter, I will consider this request to be closed.

Kind Regards

Daniela Walker
Freedom of Information Team
North East, Yorkshire & Humber Region
UK Border Agency
PO Box 3468
Sheffield S3 8WA

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Dear Daniela Walker,

Thank you for this information. I will raise a new request for statistical information on salary and allowances. However, please can you answer my first question on whether the salary includes the allowance.

From the guidance provided to sponsors, I understand that the salary entered on the CoS in the SMS includes the basic pay and allowances.

Therefore to calculate the basic pay (i.e. the salary excluding allowances), the amount entered as the allowance must be subtracted from the amount entered as the salary. Can you confirm this, please?

Yours sincerely,

Gary Burgess

Employment, Freedom of Information,

Dear Mr Burgess,

Thank you for your email of 15 January.

Your request for information will be dealt with under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 and we will endeavour to respond within 20 working
days.

I will seek further clarification with colleagues in regards to your
query below on basic pay and allowances.

Kind Regards

Daniela Walker
Freedom of Information Team
North East, Yorkshire & Humber Region
UK Border Agency
PO Box 3468
Sheffield S3 8WA

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Dear Daniela Walker,

were you able to get clarification on whether I am correct in saying that the gross pay entered on the SMS system is the gross including allowances, and therefore the gross allowances should be subtracted from the gross pay to get the gross salary excluding allownaces?

Yours sincerely,

Gary Burgess

Employment, Freedom of Information,

Dear Mr Burgess

Thank you for your email of 2 February.

I am sorry for the delay in my response. We are still in the process of
establishing the information you have requested and will respond
shortly.

Kind Regards

Daniela Walker
Freedom of Information Team
North East, Yorkshire & Humber Region
UK Border Agency
PO Box 3468
Sheffield S3 8WA

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Dear Daniela Walker,

Any news on the clarification on whether I am correct in saying that the gross pay entered on the SMS system is the gross including allowances, and therefore the gross allowances should be
subtracted from the gross pay to get the gross salary excluding allownaces?

Yours sincerely,

Gary Burgess

Employment, Freedom of Information,

Dear Mr Burgess

Thank you for your email of 17 February. Please except my apologies for
the delay. I can assure you that your query is processed and you will
receive a response shortly.

Kind Regards

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Dear Employment, Freedom of Information,

I have still not received an answer to my query.

When can I expect a response?

Yours sincerely,

Gary Burgess

Employment, Freedom of Information,

Dear Mr Burgess

Thank you for your email of 9 March.

Please accept my apology for the delay. Unfortunately it has taken
longer than expected to look into the matter but you should receive a
full response by the end of the month.

Kind Regards

Freedom of Information Team
North East, Yorkshire and the Humber Region
UK Border Agency
PO Box 3468
Sheffield S3 8WA

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