§ 27. Mr. Dribergasked the Secretary of State for Defence what local overseas allowance is paid to British troops serving in Cyprus.
§ Mr. ThorneycroftAs the information requested consists of a Table of figures I will, with permission circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. DribergWould the right hon. Gentleman say why he did not include this information with the other information which he gave in reply to Question No. 33 last Wednesday, in which it was asked for? Was this because the local overseas allowance for British troops is only 15s. 9d. a week as compared with the £7 paid to the Swedes?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftI am sorry if I did not circulate it if it was asked for. I would willingly have done so. The hon. Member will see that it is fully set out and is fairly comprehensive. He is right in saying that on balance, although comparisons are difficult to make, they are not as well paid as are members of services of other nationalities.
§ Mrs. EmmetDoes not my right hon. Friend think it time that the whole question of the payment for military services offered by countries to keep United Nations peace in various parts of the world was fully discussed at the General Assembly, perhaps this autumn, by some suitable committee and that some form of universal cost was agreed upon? Is it not true that at present those nations which are generous enough
| LOCAL OVERSEAS ALLOWANCE—BRITISH FORCES IN CYPRUS | ||||||||||||
| Rank (Army ranks used for convenience) | Single Accommodated in Barracks | Married Unaccompanied Accommodated in Barracks | Married Accompanied Accommodated in Married Quarters | Married Accompanied Accommodated in Private Accommodation | ||||||||
| Weekly | Weekly | Weekly | Weekly | |||||||||
| £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | |
| General Officers | 1 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 15 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 6 | 3 |
| Brigadier | 1 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 5 | 3 |
| Colonel and Lieutenant-Colonel | 1 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 3 |
| Officers below Lieutenant-Colonel | 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 3 |
| Warrant Officer I | 1 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 9 |
| Warrant Officer II and Staff-Sergeant | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 19 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 3 |
| Sergeant | 18 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 17 | 9 | |
| Corporal and below | 15 | 9 | 1 | 16 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 3 |
§ to offer their services pay for it and that the troops are placed in the embarrassing position of all being paid different rates for carrying out the same services? Is it not time that this matter was thoroughly thrashed out?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftThat may be so, but the question is perhaps more appropriate to the Foreign Secretary than to me, as it deals with the United Nations. The point that I made last week on this matter was that, as far as the Ministry of Defence is concerned, I am rather in a difficulty in this in differentiating between the pay to the same type of men—British soldiers—in Cyprus and indeed in one overseas theatre compared with another.
§ Mr. HealeyWhile recognising the right hon. Gentleman's difficulties, may I ask whether he would answer the question that I put to him last week, which was whether as Secretary of State for Defence he would ask the Foreign Secretary to raise this matter in the United Nations, because this seems to be the only just way of solving the problem of removing these very serious anomalies which are damaging the morale of our troops?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftI have no doubt that this question will be drawn to the attention of my right hon. Friend.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. That is not even a question rightly addressed to the Minister.
§ Following is the information: