Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2019 to Question 225436 on Armed Forces: Compensation, what level command authority is required to issue compensation payments of £500 or less to armed forces service complainants in the (a) Army (b) Royal Air Force and (c) Royal Navy; and if he will make a statement.

The correct terminology is "consolatory" awards or payments, which are made in accordance with pan-Government Principles for Managing Public Money. The value of compensation/consolatory payments are determined by reference, as appropriate, to external benchmarks such as the Vento Scale (as used by the Employment Tribunal Service), and informed by legal advice.

The Army Service Complaints Secretary, of OF5/Colonel rank, holds delegated authority to make consolatory payments of up to £500 and is empowered to delegate such authority to all Decision and Appeal Bodies. The minimum Army rank for appointment to Decision and Appeal Bodies is OF4/Lieutenant Colonel.

The Naval Service Complaints Secretary has a delegated financial authority to make consolatory payments of up to £1,000 with any above that level requiring approval by the Deputy Finance Director. Governance requires that at any compensation level, advice is taken through Navy Command Finance if this payment would be regarded as novel or contentious.

The RAF Service Complaints Team has delegated authority to make consolatory payments of up to £500 with any above that level requiring approval by Air Director Resources.