Nigegilb
When you refer to having seen the payscales on the PCS website I think you have misinterpreted them. These are the scales that the PCS would like members of the CS paid and are far in excess of the actual reality (I think the theory is...if you don't ask you don't get)
JL1
as for an Band D being paid 30k, I am yet to meet colleague of this grade who is paid such an amount. In fact there can't be many C2s on this salary.
Furthermore I feel that it is about time that people started accepting that everybody, (well the majority!), responsible for the defence of this country, (whether mil or CS), do an excellent job.