Letter:Base MPs' pay on productivity

Sir; You support a 30 per cent pay increase for MPs (leading article, 18 June). Later this week I shall be trying to persuade university academics to accept a pay increase which, for the second year running, will be one per cent below the inflation of retail prices. These academics are intelligent people; they will think a salary of pounds 45,000 for an MP is not outrageous. However, they will not understand why you do not call for an increase in productivity in the form of a 30 per cent cut in the number of MPs.

Over several years Parliament has supported the imposition of "efficiency gains" on the public sector so that more has to be done for less. We are all entitled to see MPs gagging and spluttering in the attempt to swallow their own medicine.

S P ROUSE

Chief Executive

Universities and Colleges

Employers Association

London W1