§ Mr. Churchillasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will confirm that certain members of Her Majesty's Forces, currently working an 84-hour week while standing in for striking firemen, are receiving no more than 50 per cent. of the hourly gross rate of pay of the firemen they are replacing.
§ Mr. MulleyThe Services are used to working long hours in an emergency and a liability for duty at any time is one of their conditions of service which is taken into account in fixing their rates of pay. The pay and conditions of firemen are fixed quite differently and any comparison of the kind drawn by the hon. Member would therefore be inappropriate.