HC Deb 25 January 1978 vol 942 cc636-7W
Mr. Banks

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will publish the amount of British Army of the Rhine overseas' allowance lost to (a) a sergeant, and (b) a captain, each with a wife and two children, who serve for a period of four months in Northern Ireland;

(2) if he will publish the amount of the British Army of the Rhine overseas allowance lost to (a) a married sergeant, and (b) a married captain who are serving in Northern Ireland and whose wife spends two weeks' vacation in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Robert C. Brown

The local overseas allowance rates for a married sergeant with two children—£6.99 per day—and a married captain with two children—£8.70 per day would be abated by £1.95 per day and £2.43 per day respectively. These figures are equivalent to abatements of £237.25 and £295.65 over a period of four months. Absences by a wife not exceeding 61 days in any one calendar year do not affect local overseas allowance.

Mr. Banks

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will confirm that Service men who purchased cars in the British Army of the Rhine do not receive duty allowances for the time they are absent in Northern Ireland even though the car remains in Germany.

Mr. Robert C. Brown

The time during which a Service man is away from BAOR on emergency service in Northern Ireland does not count towards the 12 months' qualifying period for a waiver of car tax and VAT on a car purchased in Germany. However, a Service man who fails to qualify for relief from car tax and VAT on an imported car because his

Grade Strength Salary
Frontier Service Officer Grade II 2 £3,900 rising to £4,700.
Frontier Service Officer Grade III 4 £1,885–£3,055 Entry scale.
£2,395–£3,670 Main scale.
Frontier Service Assistant 10 £2,094 rising to £2,285.

In addition, BFS staff receive a pay supplement of £313.20 p.a. and a further supplement of 5 per cent. of total earnings subject to a maximum of £208.80 p.a. and a minimum of £130.50 p.a. They also receive £465 p.a. Inner London weighting allowance and a foreign service allowance at the appropriate rate.