§ Mr. KeetchTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel(a) with children and (b) without children in the (i) Army, (ii) Royal Navy and (iii) RAF are earning under £92.90 per week after tax and national insurance deductions; and if he will make a statement. [53762]
§ Mr. IngramI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 April 2002,Official Report, column 425W. The minimum rate of pay for armed forces personnel (for Army new entrants under 17 only) is currently £8,997 per annum. As this is considerably greater than £92.90 per week (£4,830.80 per annum) and the adult new entrant rate is even higher at £10,778 per annum, an individual in the armed forces would not, therefore, receive as little as £92.90 per week after normal tax and national insurance contributions.
Comprehensive information on parental status is not held, for example on those single personnel with children, or married with a spouse with children from a previous relationship. Information on the parental status of individual armed forces personnel in receipt of specific rates of pay could be provided only at disproportionate cost.