Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss refuses to tell Stephen Morgan MP when service personnel will see extra money in their bank accounts
MP for Portsmouth South Stephen Morgan today pressed Government Treasury officials for detail on when armed forces personnel would see their one off consolidated payment of 0.9% – sadly, to no avail. His question follows his campaign to give our armed forces a pay rise – a campaign he started leading a Westminster Hall debate on the issue last September.
In the House of Commons Chamber today, Stephen asked Liz Truss MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury when exactly servicemen and women would see the increase in their bank accounts. The Chief Secretary refused to give any detail stating only that the pay boost would be implemented ‘later this year’.
Stephen Morgan MP, said:
“I’m pleased our armed forces personnel will be getting this consolidated payment, but remain concerned by the lack of specificity on time-frames from the Treasury.
We’re all too familiar with the Government’s habit of pushing back spending commitments, but our serving men and women can’t afford to wait – times are tough, pay is squeezed, and this payment needs to occur sooner rather than later.
It’s really frustrating the Tories won’t tell them when they can expect it.”
The Government also today announced a pay rise of 2% for armed forces personnel.
Stephen welcomes this long overdue, and well deserved, announcement on Armed Forces pay, but given the pressure that the MoD budget is already under, has voiced concern that there is no new money to fund it from outside the Department.
