Public Sector Salaries: Services' average of 3.6% to be met by cuts in back-up: Armed Forces
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.CUTS IN support services will fund pay rises averaging 3.6 per cent over the next 12 months for the armed forces, writes Colin Brown.
The Armed Forces Pay Review Body, covering about 267,000 men and women, recommended rises ranging from 3 per cent to 4.4 per cent from April. But it was the only group refused the full rise by the Cabinet.
The Prime Minister said yesterday the Government believed that the recommendations were 'too high to be implemented in full' from 1 April. All ranks were awarded 2.7 per cent from April with the balance paid from 1 January 1995, adding about pounds 170m to the pay bill.
Malcolm Rifkind, the Secretary of State for Defence, who will be visiting Bosnia on Sunday, believes the pay award will lift morale, in spite of the delay in paying part of the award.
Mr Rifkind has been forced by the Treasury, like other departments, to find the money from within his budget. The pay increases will be met by savings achieved by the new review of defence, called Front Line First, intended to reduce the size of back-up forces.
The cuts could include the royal yacht, which falls on the defence budget. However, the review body's recommendations also assume increases of 5 per cent in rental charges for accommodation, yielding an extra pounds 7.7m.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments