UK Lecturer application: possible to refuse to answer "expected salary"? I am applying for faculty positions in multiple countries.  For all of the UK positions, it was necessary to fill out an online form, which always asks for my current salary, and often asks for my "expected salary".  All the UK job calls I have seen did state a salary range.

I find it very uncomfortable to tell them an "expected salary" and I worry that they will try to use this to exploit me.

Also, my current position was extended with a lower salary than what I was getting before (due to funding constraints). It was worth accepting this lower salary for a limited time, but I would not have accepted it long term. For this reason, I would prefer not to state my current salary either.

The application system requires me to fill out these fields, but of course I could always write something like "negotiable" which amounts to a refusal to tell.  I don't know if this is a good idea though.

In a UK context, what is the best way to proceed?  Just put in the average of their stated salary range?  Is it legal for them to require me to give this information?  What would be the consequences if I refuse?  Is this information used to choose one candidate over another?

I have seen "What should I state for &quot;expected salary&quot; in a tenure-track job application?" and I read the answers. I feel that they don't apply here, as the country and context make a difference.
(This does not really answer the question of whether one can refuse to answer "expected salary": rather it is a suggestion to help answer that question in a reasonable way, if you choose to do so.)

Something that may be useful to be aware of is the "Higher Education Pay Spine" which most (many? some?) UK institutions adhere to:

https://www.ucu.org.uk/he_singlepayspine

In my (admittedly limited) experience, Lecturers are typically appointed at a point somewhere around 36 on this scale. Others may have different information: please say if you do!

(For particular universities, a bit of internet searching will often show that they use a different scale, but the one linked above gives the general idea.) 

Depending on your level of experience, you may wish to adjust what you ask for, but at least this gives you some context to help calibrate your response.