§ 29. Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what portion of his budget in cash and as a percentage is spent on(a) service pay and (b) the pay of ancillary staff; what were the equivalent figures 20 years ago; and if he will make a statement. [20104]
§ Mr. FreemanIn 1995–96 my Department has budgeted for a service pay bill inclusive of associated allowances and expenses of £6,065 million which represents 26.9 per cent. of its budget. The pay bill inclusive of associated allowances and expenses for the civilian staff of the Department has been budgeted for at £2,485 million which equates to 11 per cent. of the Department's total budget.
Comparable figures for money actually spent in financial year 1975–76 are some £1,304 million for service pay which amounted to 24.6 per cent. of the total budget that year and £988 million for civilian staff which represented 18.6 per cent.