§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in the Official Report for the Armed Forces (a) average earnings for 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81 and 1981–82 and (b) the total numbers employed for the same year.
§ Mr. Blaker[pursuant to his reply, 13 July 1982, c. 346.]: As I have already informed the hon. Member, trained strength rather than overall strength was inadvertently used in the calculations of average earnings for Service men and numbers employed in the Armed Forces. The correct answer should have been:
The average gross earnings of United Kingdom regular Service men for the years 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81 and 1981–82—excluding allowances designed to compensate or reimburse for essential additional expenses£were £4,468, £5,965, £6,964 and £7,779 respectively. Average numbers employed for the same years—that is United Kingdom regular personnel and locally entered Service men—were 326,200, 326,100, 336,200 and 340,600, and these exclude members of the reserves, auxiliary and cadet forces.