§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on(a) the level of payments from NATO to cover the salaries of UK armed forces personnel on NATO missions, (b) the level of salaries and allowances paid to UK armed forces on NATO missions and (c) the reasons for differences between the amounts at (a) and (b). [77621]
§ Mr. Doug Henderson[holding answer 19 March 1999]: NATO does not make any payment to cover the salaries of UK (or any other nation's) armed forces personnel on NATO missions. Normal levels of salary, together with allowances appropriate to location and circumstances, are paid from Ministry of Defence funds to UK Armed Forces personnel while on NATO or other missions. It is accepted by NATO nations that the salary costs of troops deployed will lie where they fall, on the defence budgets of the contributing nations.