The Police Superintendents' Association (PSA) has said the removal of the public sector pay freeze does not change their withdrawal from the pay body.

The Federation and the PSA ditched the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) in July following a zero per cent pay rise, leaving the future of the pay negotiation arrangements uncertain.

After yesterday's budget announcement of a lifting of the public sector pay freeze the PSA again voiced its dissatisfaction with the PRRB.

PSA President Paul Griffiths said:“Whilst we welcome this news, it does not impact on the processes currently in place to determine police officer pay. We believe this process, delivered through the PRRB to be ineffective, unfair, and lacking in the independence needed to safeguard the rights of police officers."

The Police Federation did not comment on whether anything had changed regarding their withdrawal from the PRRB.

Mr Griffiths also said the budget pledge of funding for the wider criminal justice system will support work to tackle the challenges police face in bringing offenders to justice and give best results for victims.

Sir Thomas Winsor yesterday (27 October) told the Home Affairs Committee the Criminal Justice System was the 'poor relation' of public services because, unlike education and health, legislators and policy makers for the most part don’t have first-hand experience of using it.