§ Mr. Blakerasked the Secretary of State for Defence how the pay of a private in 469W the British Army compares with that of a private in the Russian army.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownIt is difficult to draw an exact comparison between the pay of British and Russian private soldiers, as conditions of service and the structures of the two armies are very different. The British Army consists entirely of volunteers who are all paid a full salary comparable with outside employments; the Russian comprises mainly conscripts with a small element of men who have volunteered to extend their service and who receive a much higher rate of pay for this commitment. It is understood that a regular Russian private receives approximately one-eleventh of the pay of his British counterpart, whereas a Russian conscript at the beginning of his service receives about one six-hundredth of the pay of a British regular recruit. The Russian soldier pays no income tax and receives free food and accommodation whereas the British soldier pays these charges. The quality of life and the purchasing power of equivalent sums of money in the two countries are, of course, considerably different.