The issue of parity for officers working for the Ministry of Defence Police is something that needs proper scrutiny, Shadow Defence Minister Gerald Jones MP has said.
Currently, MDP officers earn 95% of the salary of their colleagues working for Home Office forces, and as they are also classed as civil servants they are bound by a retirement age of 68 despite being armed.
The Defence Police Federation has been pressuring for parity on pay, pensions and fitness testing, with Chairman Eamon Keating describing officers as “exhausted and demoralised”.
Mr Jones said it was time for politicians to offer their support for a change in MDP officers’ terms and conditions.
He said: “They are doing a very similar job to their colleagues in Home Office [forces] and not having the same terms and conditions.
“There needs to be a level of parity with Home Office colleagues to be fair.
“It’s a rewarding job but it can be thankless. As politicians, we need to offer as much support as we possibly can.”
Mr Jones attended the DPF Conference in Stansted in June, where pensions, fitness, pay parity and non-payment of the agreed 1% non-consolidated bonus – which was paid to all other forces in the UK but not the MOD police – were among the topics discussed at the event.
