§ Ms Rosie WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the pay of medical and dental officers in the armed forces. [157531]
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§ Mr. HoonThe Supplement to the 2001 Report of the Armed Forces' Pay Review Body making recommendations on the pay of Service medical and dental officers has been published today. Copies of the Supplement are available in the Vote Office and the Library of the House. I wish to express my thanks to the Chairman and members of the Review Body for their work in producing this Supplement.
In line with the increase recommended by the Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body, the Review Body recommends an overall pay increase for Defence Medical Services medical and dental officers of 3.9 per cent. The Review Body also recommends a 6.2 per cent. increase for certain categories of junior doctors and a 4.2 per cent. increase for general medical practitioners, inclusive of the overall 3.9 per cent. increase. In addition, there are recommendations for additional payments to general medical and general dental practitioners' pay scales.
The additional cost to the Defence Budget will be £4.5 million. This will be met within existing departmental expenditure limits.
The Review Body's recommendations are to be accepted in full, with implementation effective from 1 April 2001.