§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the average annual earnings by rank in each of the armed forces in 1979 and in the latest available year.
§ Mr. LeeIt is not possible to provide the information requested without incurring disproportionate cost. Pay records are not held in the form of average earnings by rank. However, statistics relating to basic pay and allowances in the form of pay can be obtained from the annual reports of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body, which, following their consideration by the Government, are published and made available to the House. The reports relating to the periods requested are the Review Body's eighth report (published May 1979) and the thirteenth report (published June 1984, Cmnd. 9255). Further information of a similar nature was supplied by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed 293W Forces in answer to a question by the hon. Member for Fife, Central (Mr. Hamilton) on 24 May 1984 at columns 553–55.