READING EAST MP Matt Rodda spoke in Parliament today and submitted an oral question to the Secretary of State for Defence. His question to the Government was to enquire what steps the Department of Defence were taking to improve satisfaction rates on pay in the Armed Forces.

“The Government is fond of saying they value our Armed Forces personnel, yet back in June every Minister and every Cabinet Member including the Defence Secretary himself voted against lifting the public sector pay cap for our Armed Forces. Isn’t this proof that their commitment to our brave men and women is only skin deep?”

 Much to the disappointment of the Opposition benches, the Rt. Hon. Tobias Ellwood MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence simply said in response that it was an issue for the Armed Forces Pay Review Body to make their own decisions on such matters.

 Matt will continue to challenge the Government on the issue of lifting the pay cap to ensure fairer wages for all public sector workers, including demanding a better deal for those in the Armed Forces.