Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he will match the commitment made by his Department to staff based in London by setting the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a minimum hourly rate for staff based outside London.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has not formally signed up to the National Living Wage rates, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation. While the Secretary of State exceptionally agreed as part of the 2015 pay deal to match the Living Wage Foundation's London Living Wage rate, this did not extend to other staff as the levels of pay for staff outside London were considered appropriate. The Department continues to review all salaries and the position taken in 2015 has not changed.

I can confirm that the MOD continues to pay above the Government's National Living Wage and that arrangements are in place to increase salaries when the hourly rate announced by the Chancellor in his November 2018 Autumn Statement is increased to £8.21 with effect from 1 April 2019.