Mr. Michael Howard:

I only have an outsider's knowledge of what happens internationally. From what we know, most armed forces have to deal with the same issues. The civilian world with all its diversity of remuneration is almost entirely replicated in the Defence Forces. As the Army has to be self-sufficient it has to provide for itself on matters for which any other organisation would turn to an outsider. When we deploy troops to Lebanon or Chad, they have to travel with carpenters, plumbers, electricians, emergency medical technicians and a range of other specialists. All armies face the same issue and, generally speaking, they provide systems of allowances or additional pay to take account of it. They provide a basic or line pay associated with rank alongside further payments based on particular skills. For example, every air force in the world has to pay pilots more than other officers of the same rank or they would not be able to retain them. Similar considerations apply for professional officers such as engineers and, among other personnel, highly trained craftsmen such as mechanics and technicians. To offer a broad brush answer, while our pay system is unique in detail the principle of it addresses the same problems in an equivalent way to other countries.