§ Mr. Churchillasked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Stretford, Official Report, 19th May, what is currently the gross hourly rate of pay of soldiers in the main pay bands up to the rank of captain, required to work on an average of between 90 and 110 hours a week while in Northern Ireland, taking full account of the Northern Ireland allowances.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownA statement of the rates of basic pay introduced for the Army with effect from 1st April 1978 was placed in the Vote Office on the afternoon of the debate on Armed Forces Pay on 25th April 1978. In addition to these rates, personnel of the rank of brigadier and below who serve in Northern Ireland for a minmum of 14 days—or, in certain operational categories, four days—receive Northern Ireland pay of £1 a day. The only allowances which are special to Northern Ireland are those associated with "Field Conditions (Northern Ireland)"; apart from a daily compensatory food allowance of 50p for married accompanied personnel this concession takes the form of the waiving of434W food charges for single and married unaccompanied personnel and the waiving or abatement of accommodation charges, rather than an additional payment.
It would be incorrect to calculate an hourly rate of pay on the basis of these rates and the average number of working hours given in my reply of 19th May 1978. Service personnel, unlike civilians, do not work "conditioned hours" and when assessing daily rates of pay the Armed Forces Pay Review Body take into account the "unsocial hours" aspect of Service life. This is one of the elements on account of which the "X"- factor is paid. The exceptional unsocial hours worked in Northern Ireland are recognised by Northern Ireland pay, which I have already mentioned. This form of payment was introduced in April 1974 at a daily rate of 50p; its increase to £1 in the latest pay review restored—and indeed slightly increased—the purchasing power which it had at the time of its introduction. There had been no increase in the unsocial hours worked during the intervening four years.
§ Mr. Churchillasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many men and women in each of the three Armed Services, respectively, are currently receiving a remuneration below the Low Pay Unit's working definition of low pay for 1978 of £55 for a 40-hour week.
§ Dr. GilbertThe Low Pay Unit is an independent body and I cannot therefore answer for its definition of law pay as £55 for 1978. I understand, however, that this figure relates to the requirements as it assesses them of a family with two children.
The majority of Service men and women earning less than £55 a week are young single privates and equivalents on scale A rates of pay who have been in the Forces less than three years. It is not practicable to identify the number of married Service men and women, with two children, earning less than £55 a week but some indication may be obtained from the number of Service families drawing family income supplement. I therefore refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my right hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security to the hon. Member for Wallasey (Mrs. Chalker) on 3rd May 1978.—[Vol. 949, cc. 140–1]