Salaries from 1 April:

Prime Minister �116,436 Cabinet ministers �69,861-�124,979 MPs �55,118 Chief of Defence Staff �152,517 Lord Chief Justice �185,145

Cabinet ministers will see their entitlement rise by the same percentage to �69,861, with those who are also members of the Commons also receiving their MPs' salaries - a total of �124,979.

The salary increases for MPs' and ministers are automatically linked to the increases for senior civil servants recommended by the Senior Salaries Review Body.

High-flier inducement

In a written parliamentary reply, Mr Blair announced on Thursday that he had accepted the body's recommendation of a 2.5% hike from 1 April for senior civil servants and senior military officers.

But he decided to stage the 8% increase recommended for judges, who will receive 3.6% this year and the remaining 4.4% in April 2003.

In a bid to attract high-fliers from the private sector to head government departments, the review also includes a massive hike in the maximum salary available to senior civil servants.

The reform of senior pay will mean future permanent secretaries could earn as much as �245,000 a year, compared to the maximum �179,000 now.

In fact, no permanent secretary will earn more than �200,000 next year, said the Cabinet Office, which added that the reform was also designed to "reward people properly" for their contribution to the public services.

Differing salaries

At present, the highest-paid of the 33 permanent secretaries is Cabinet Secretary Sir Richard Wilson, who earns between �175,000 and �179,000.

About 3,300 people - the top 1% of civil servants - are included in the pay awards.

All awards are arranged in wide bands, with exact pay related to performance.

Civil servants in the same pay bands could receive salaries differing by as much as �100,000, depending on how well they are thought to have performed.

The Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Sir Michael Boyce will see his salary rise to a maximum �152,517 after the pay rises.

Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf, the senior judge of England and Wales, will receive �185,145 when the full 8% judicial salary increase is implemented in April 2003.