Top gallery heads forgo bonuses during pay freeze

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National Gallery director Nicholas Penny, Tate chief Sir Nicholas Serota and National Portrait Gallery boss Sandy Nairne have all cut awards as austerity measures have bitten.

Sir Nicholas is entitled to a bonus worth up to 15 per cent of his £160,537 salary but has turned it down for the past two years "in view of the pay freeze" in the public sector.

Mr Nairne got no bonus last year as a result of the freeze, having been awarded £8,250 in 2009/10, while Mr Penny has not received a bonus for the past two years despite being eligible for an award worth up to 20 per cent of his £140,000 salary. His predecessor, Charles Saumarez Smith, received £7,673 in his final year with the gallery.

The figures, which emerged after research by Tory MP Priti Patel, came as ministers ordered a review of bonuses in the public sector. Whitehall paid out more than £105 million in bonuses last year, with roughly a quarter of officials qualifying for payouts.

Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander told the Daily Telegraph: "The idea is to look at the levers government has, to make sure that the remuneration rules are fit for purpose and command public confidence."

Ms Patel hailed museum chiefs for setting an example. She told the Standard: "It is a welcome step forward that we are seeing museums and the creative industries leading the way, but there is scope for many others to follow suit."