§ Brian Cotter:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what action he is taking to ensure that members of the armed forces are not affected by future pension troughs; [141641]
(2) what the outcome was of recent discussions between his Department and the Forces Pension Society on remedying the effects of the pensions trough affecting Service personnel between 1976 and 1978. [141640]
§ Mr. Caplin:I met Air Chief Marshal Sir Roger Palin and Major General James Gordon from the Forces Pension Society (FPS) on 19 November 2003. During our discussions, I recognised the strength of feeling among those ex-Service personnel affected by pension troughs and the Society's concern that a remedy should be found for this. However, after careful consideration of the matter, I informed the Society that I did not intend to revisit this issue.
68W(9) how much of its personnel budget the (a) British Forces Post Office and (b) Warship Support Agency spent in Scotland in 2002 in (i) monetary terms and Iii) as a percentage of the total personnel budget; what the figures were 12 months previously; and if he will make a statement. [140967]
§ Mr. Ingram:Regional spending figures for personnel costs are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.