HC Deb 18 April 1978 vol 948 cc135-7W
Mr. Churchill

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is currently the total number of United Kingdom citizens with British Forces in Germany, together with comparable figures for 1972, in respect of each of the following categories (a) Servicemen and women, (b) their families, (c) civilian personnel employed by his Department or the Property Services Agency, and (d) their families.

of Defence civilians serving in that area. It is designed to meet the extra cost of maintaining a standard of living suited to the overseas area. Both allowances are paid free of tax.

Conditions of service differ between civil servants and the Services in many ways and reflect the disparities between the two kinds of career. Unless comparisons are made in that context they cannot be very meaningful.

The following table compares the position of a single and a married accompanied Army captain with a civilian on a similar salary scale:

Dr. Gilbert

The most up-to-date figures are as follows:

31st December
1972 1977
(a) Service men and women* 70,600 69,500
(b) Dependants 88,400 87,600
(c) United Kingdom based MOD civilian employees 2,250 2,428
(c) United Kingdom based PSA civilian employees 231 299
(d) Dependants of MOD civilian employees† 2,691 2,500
* Including personnel based in Germany but serving in Northern Ireland on emergency tours.
† No figures are available for dependants of United Kingdom based PSA civilian employees.

Mr. Churchill

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the estimated stationing costs of British Forces in West Germany for the year 1979–80; how this compares with costs for 1971–72 and 1976–77; and what offset costs were paid or are due to be paid by the Federal German Republic in each case.

Dr. Gilbert

Local defence expenditure in Germany in 1979–80 will depend upon pay and price levels and the exchange rates prevailing over the year. For the current year 1978–79 this expenditure is estimated in the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1978" (Cmnd 7099) at £574 million. This compares with £169 million in 1971–72 and £521 million in 1976–77, at the pay and price levels and exchange rates prevailing in the years in question. Defence Estimates for 1978–79 make provision for offset receipts from the Federal German Government equivalent to £85 million at August 1977 exchange rates. This compares with offset receipts in 1971–72 equivalent to about £13 million, based on the exchange rates that obtained in that year. 1976–77 was not directly covered by any offset arrangements.