HL Deb 23 October 1973 vol 345 cc620-1WA
VISCOUNT MONCKTON OF BRENCHLEY

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have received a report from the Armed Forces Pay Review Body about the pay of medical and dental officers in the Armed Forces, and what decisions have been reached.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE (LORD CARRINGTON)

Her Majesty's Government have received a Supplementary Report from the Armed Forces Pay Review Body which was published yesterday as Cmnd. 5450. Copies are available in the Printed Paper Office. The Government accept the recommendations of this Report, all of which accord with counter-inflation policy.

The Second Report of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (Cmnd. 5336) explained that the pay of Service medical and dental officers is governed principally by the recommendations of the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration. The latter reported in July (Cmnd. 5353) and the Supplementary Report of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body now recommends increases for Service medical and dental officers with effect from April 1, 1973. These are designed to provide rates of pay which over a career equate to the average net remuneration of general practitioners in the National Health Service, as has been the accepted practice since 1969.

Increases averaging £185 a year will therefore be paid with effect from April 1, 1973, to these officers up to and including the rank of Colonel, and the equivalent in the other two Services. There will also be an increase of £219 a year for Brigadiers and equivalents to maintain a reasonable differential over the maximum pay of Colonel. The pay of provisionally-registered medical practitioners is to be increased by £216 a year. The pay of medical and dental cadets will remain unchanged.

The Government are grateful to the members of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body for their work in preparing the supplementary report.