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DEFENCE

Trident

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his latest estimate of (a) the cost of Trident warheads, (b) their life and (c) the costs of disposal. [50392]

14 Jul 1998 : Column: 167

Mr. George Robertson: The production costs for Trident warheads in the last financial year were £20 million. Taking into account decisions made in the Strategic Defence Review, our current estimate for the total production costs is some £300 million.

We expect the Trident warhead to be kept in service for the full planned 25 to 30 year life of the Trident force. Limited life warhead components will be replaced and the warheads refurbished as required during this period.

Warhead disposal costs will depend upon future plans for the use or disposal of fissile material from the warheads.

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total number of Trident warheads currently held; how many have been destroyed; and how many have been ordered. [50379]

Mr. George Robertson: As stated in the Strategic Defence Review White Paper published on 8 July, (Cmd 3999), the United Kingdom will maintain an operationally available stockpile of fewer than 200 Trident warheads. Changes are being implemented to our warhead production plans to maintain the operationally available stockpile at this reduced level. Some warheads will also be required to provide a necessary processing margin and for technical surveillance purposes. I am withholding details of the exact number of Trident warheads currently held and information on Trident warhead production and decommissioning plans under exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information relating to Defence, Security and International Relations.

Strategic Arms Exports

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the annual report on strategic exports to be published. [50610]

Mr. Spellar: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Lloyd) on 12 May 1998, Official Report, column 110.

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Infantry Units

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the (a) establishment and (b) actual strengths of each (i) regular and (ii) TA infantry unit. [47209]

Dr. Reid: The establishment and actual strength of each regular and TA infantry unit is detailed below. For completeness, the total establishment and strength of the Infantry Arm is also given.

Regular Infantry

The established liability of the Army, the Manpower Planning Target, is revised in April and October each year. The total requirement includes those posts filled by infantry personnel away from their units in specific infantry appointments or general appointments which may be filled by personnel from any cap badge. The total liability and strength of regular infantry personnel as at 1 May 1998 was:

Infantry

Liability (establishment)Strength
Soldiers25,04922,458
Officers2,7392,726
Gurkhas2,1012,555

The infantry deficit at soldier level is being addressed actively through the 'Manning the Army' strategy which aims to bring the Army to full strength by 2002.

The table shows the liability (establishment) and strength of soldiers by infantry unit. Owing to the nature of the cap badge system, only at soldier level can both the establishment and liability be shown in full. A similar breakdown for Infantry officers is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost and effort. Infantry officers, like all Army officers, fill a proportion of posts that are able to be filled from any cap badge, the only qualifying criteria being suitability and relevant experience.

The figures exclude those infantry personnel currently serving in posts away from their parent units.

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Infantry soldiers

Unit liability (establishment) Strength
As at 1 May 1998
Household Division
1st Battalion Grenadier Guards522426
N Company Grenadier Guards102105
1st Battalion Coldstream Guards522513
7 Company Coldstream Guards102113
1st Battalion Scots Guards559418
F Company Scots Guards10288
1st Battalion Irish Guards629545
1st Battalion Welsh Guards522503
Scottish Division
1st Battalion Royal Scots582408
1st Battalion Royal Highland Fusiliers626500
1st Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers520440
1st Battalion Black Watch523446
1st Battalion Highlanders583476
1st Battalion Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders558513
Queen's Division
1st Battalion Prince of Wales's Royal Regiment539415
2nd Battalion Prince of Wales's Royal Regiment579481
1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers555532
2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers625577
1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment519483
2nd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment539541
King's Division
1st Battalion King's Own Royal Border Regiment625575
1st Battalion King's Regiment519505
1st Battalion Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire519493
1st Battalion Green Howards625560
1st Battalion Queen's Lancashire Regiment555507
1st Battalion Duke of Wellington's Regiment522520
Prince of Wales's Division
1st Battalion Devon and Dorset Regiment565538
1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment555511
1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers519511
1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Wales625520
1st Battalion Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment581511
1st Battalion Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment625631
1st Battalion Staffordshire Regiment519488
Light Division
1st Battalion Light Infantry539497
2nd Battalion Light Infantry555521
1st Battalion Royal Green Jackets579451
2nd Battalion Royal Green Jackets625625
The Parachute Regiment
1st Battalion Parachute Regiment544466
2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment544450
3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment519427
Royal Irish Regiment
1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment581439
Gurkhas
1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles742765
2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles855913
The Gurkha Reinforcement Company and The Battalion The Parachute Regiment0115
The Gurkha Reinforcement Company The 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment0115
The Gurkha Reinforcement Company The 1st Battalion The Royal Scots0115
The Gurkha Demonstration Company Royal Military Academy Sandhurst133133
The Gurkha Demonstration Company Brecon100100
Territorial Army Infantry Units
6th Northumberland Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers532600
4th Battalion (Volunteer) The Parachute Regiment531696
6th (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment531493
7th (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment532582
4th/5th Battalion the Green Howards (Alexandria Princess of Wales' Own Yorkshire Regiment)531423
3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding)531542
3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment530514
7th Battalion The (Durham) Light Infantry531526
3rd Battalion The Prince of Wales Own Regiment of Yorkshire327423
4th (Volunteer) Battalion The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment531457
6th Battalion The Light Infantry (Volunteer)531495
5th (Volunteer) Battalion The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment566533
6th/7th (Volunteer) Battalion The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment530504
5th (Volunteer) Royal Green Jackets382304
2nd (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Gloucester Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment531453
4th (Volunteer) Battalion The Queens Lancashire Regiment529508
5th/8th (Volunteer) Battalion The Kings Regiment529520
4th (Volunteer) Battalion The Kings Own Border Regiment529419
3rd (Volunteer) The Cheshire Regiment373376
5th (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers564484
3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales)563521
5th Battalion The Light Infantry (Volunteer)527528
2nd (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Regiment of Wales532498
3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Welsh Fusiliers530531
4th (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Green Jackets530305
10th (Volunteer) Battalion The Parachute Regiment530311
The London Regiment531302
3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Black Watch Regiment (The Royal Highland Regiment)374325
3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Highlanders (Seaforths, Gordons and Cameroons)537438
7th/8th (Volunteer) Battalion The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)531472
3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow & Ayrshire Regiment)530440
The Lowland Volunteers532396
4th/5th Battalion The Royal Irish Rangers543497

Notes:

1. Includes Queen's Own Gurkha Officers Gurkha numbers decrease throughout the year (through retirement) until the annual intake at the end of the year

2. A similar breakdown for Infantry officers is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost and effort. Infantry officers, like all Army officers, fill a proportion of posts that are able to be filled from any cap badge, the only qualifying criteria being suitability and relevant experience

3. The figures for Territorial Army infantry units include both officers and soldiers


14 Jul 1998 : Column: 171

14 Jul 1998 : Column: 171


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