§ Lord Vivianasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why they will not give a £7,500 bounty to any Serviceman or woman who has to carry out a second six-month unaccompanied tour within a 24-month period. [HL3342]
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)No proposal for the introduction of a £7,500 bounty has been considered by the Ministry of Defence.
Enhancements to separation allowances were announced by the Secretary of State for Defence on 20 December 1999. An existing allowance known as Longer Separated Service Allowance (LSSA), which is payable to Service personnel who have completed a qualifying period of service and are separated from their duty stations for periods of 10 continuous days or more (whether operationally or not), was enhanced to include a two-tier bonus scheme known as Accumulated Turbulence (AT) and Accumulated Turbulence Plus (AT +). These are taxable lump sums paid as compensation to personnel who experience an intensive level of separation (however occasioned) over a two-year period. LSSA (AT) of £1,000.00 is 43WA paid once 280 accumulated days' paid separation has been accrued in a two-year period. Similarly, LSSA (AT -) of an additional £1,000.00 is paid once 365 accumulated days' paid separation has been accrued within the same two-year period.
The equivalent payment for those in receipt of Longer Service at Sea Bonus (paid primarily to the Royal Navy) is made to personnel deployed for more than 12 months or who spend less than nine months in their base port in any two-year period.
A further payment is made when personnel are deployed for more than 16 months or spend less than six months in their base port in the same two-year period.
Unusually, the bonuses were backdated to 1 December 1997 (which was the original implementation date of LSSA). The first two-year period therefore ended 1 December 1999. As at 23 June 2000, more than £4.6 million had been paid in AT bonuses.