MPs are to receive a pay rise of 2.33% from 1 April, bringing their annual salary to about £64,766.

Rules introduced last year fixed the increase at the average received over the past year by 15 different groups of public sector workers.

These range from judges and senior military officers to teachers, NHS workers and council employees.

The Westminster salary rise comes at a time when many workers are facing pay freezes or even reductions.

Last week figures revealed that inflation, judged by the Consumer Prices Index, had risen to 3.2% in February this year.

Allowances

But the Retail Prices Index, which includes mortgage costs, fell to zero in the same month.

MPs' basic pay is topped up by expenses and allowances worth up to around £180,000 a year to pay for their offices, staff and travel and the cost of spending time away from home while working at Westminster.

Ministers also receive pay on top of their MPs' salary.

An inquiry has been ordered into the whole question of MPs' pay and expenses following a series of controversies, including allegations relating to claims for second home allowances from Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and work minister Tony McNulty.

The chairman of the Senior Salaries Review Body, Bill Cockburn, wrote to Commons Speaker Michael Martin on Friday to inform him that he had calculated this year's average at 2.33%.