Mr. Michael Howard:

I must emphasise at this point that while I am satisfied as to the general accuracy of what I am saying, I am citing my memory of events more than 20 years ago. For example, my recollection is that an awful lot of military personnel pay moved in response to the EO and HEO grade in the Civil Service. That grade was also used as a marker for other groups around the system. The fear was that if something was done for the Defence Forces other grades which had previously been linked to it and others further out the system would say they were linked-----