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Armed Forces: Pay

Volume 488: debated on Tuesday 3 March 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people in (a) the armed forces and (b) his Department receive the X-factor adjustment to military pay, broken down by rank. (258428)

X-Factor is paid in addition to base pay to reflect the relative disadvantage between the conditions of service experienced by members of the armed forces over a full career and conditions in civilian life. It is only paid to service personnel and is for the duration of their Service career regardless of where they are serving.

All Regular, mobilised reserve and full-time reserve service personnel receive full X-Factor, which is currently 14 per cent. of base pay, up to the rank of lieutenant colonel and equivalent. Beyond this point it tapers in recognition of the diminishing impact of the X-Factor components on higher ranks. The level of X-Factor for other reserve personnel is set at either 0 per cent. or 5 per cent. of base pay depending on their level of commitment.

The following table gives approximate numbers, by rank, of personnel who receive X-Factor. For simplicity, NATO ranks have been used.

Officers

OFO

7,263

OF1

5,458

OF2

14,366

OF3

11,407

OF4

4,313

OF5

1,224

OF6

335

OF7

97

OF8

25

Other ranks

OR2

91,526

OR3

19,383

OR4

30,976

OR6

20,480

OR7

14,357

OR8

5356

OR9

3162