§ Mr. LoveTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which British overseas defence establishments locally engaged staff are paid below local poverty datum lines; and if he will make a statement. [4538]
§ Dr. MoonieThis information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Ministry of Defence employs over 13,000 locally engaged civilian staff around the world. Their conditions of service, including pay levels, are set in accordance with the terms of the discretionary authority conferred by the Treasury on Departments. This ensures that pay levels are established by reference to local best practice. Periodic pay reviews must be informed by local surveys of comparable employers thus ensuring that MOD remuneration remains competitive. Locally engaged staff play a vital role in support of the British armed forces overseas and it is in the MOD's interests to ensure that it is able to recruit and retain adequate numbers of the right calibre.