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07/12/2006
Army chief blasts Ministry of Defence pay
General Sir Mike Jackson has roundly criticised army pay and conditions during the annual BBC Dimbleby lecture.
Sir Mike, who retired as the head of the army in August, said pay was "hardly impressive" and that conditions in some of the accommodation were "shaming."
He said that as he was now a civilian he was entitled to have his say in public.
Sir Mike told the BBC that a little over £1,000 a month for a private was "hardly an impressive figure."
He said that accommodation improvements as defined by the MoD were not what soldiers and their families needed and were surrounded by petty regulations.
Sir Mike also said that young people who put their lives at risk for their country and paid in blood required the tools to do the job. He said that there was a "mismatch" between resources and what the armed forces had to do.
The MoD said that it disagreed with some of Sir Mikes comments and that it had delivered "real improvements" but admitted that there was "more we can do."
Conservative Defence spokesperson Dr Liam Fox was critical of government spending on defence. He pointed out that the current spend, at 3.5% of GDP, was less than that in 1930 despite increasing commitments around the world.
(SP/JM)
Sir Mike, who retired as the head of the army in August, said pay was "hardly impressive" and that conditions in some of the accommodation were "shaming."
He said that as he was now a civilian he was entitled to have his say in public.
Sir Mike told the BBC that a little over £1,000 a month for a private was "hardly an impressive figure."
He said that accommodation improvements as defined by the MoD were not what soldiers and their families needed and were surrounded by petty regulations.
Sir Mike also said that young people who put their lives at risk for their country and paid in blood required the tools to do the job. He said that there was a "mismatch" between resources and what the armed forces had to do.
The MoD said that it disagreed with some of Sir Mikes comments and that it had delivered "real improvements" but admitted that there was "more we can do."
Conservative Defence spokesperson Dr Liam Fox was critical of government spending on defence. He pointed out that the current spend, at 3.5% of GDP, was less than that in 1930 despite increasing commitments around the world.
(SP/JM)
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