Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat). It was answered on Wednesday, 14 October 2009.

Armed Forces: Parachuting

Question: My Lords, is it not the case that parachutists who complete the course get a bonus in their pay packet? Are we not effectively depriving a number of our troops of a bonus that they would have expected to get in their wages?

Answer: My Lords, we have taken account of that factor. The bonus, which I believe is £5.35 per day, is paid to those who have qualified even if they are not able to maintain their current qualification by jumping within the prescribed period. It means that they do not get the training and practice that they want and that is obviously important, but, in terms of financial penalty, those who are not able to maintain their currency do not get penalised, because we have made provision for that.

Secondary information