To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether flying pay is paid (a) at the same rate and (b) to the same criteria across the armed forces.

There are a number of different rates of Recruitment and Retention Payment (RRP) (Flying) which are paid dependent on rank, seniority and specialisation. The criteria applied have been adapted to meet the specific needs of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and the Royal Air Force and therefore vary across the three services and within certain cadres of service personnel. The rates of RRP (Flying) are recommended annually by the independent Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB) and the current levels can be found at pages 69-70 of the 2013 AFPRB Report, copies of which are available in the Vote Office and at the following link:

http://www.ome.uk.com/afprb_reports.aspx