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Armed Forces (Benefits)

Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Social Security about members of the armed forces claiming benefits; and if he will make a statement. [102852]

Mr. Spellar: Service personnel and their families resident in the United Kingdom have the same degree of entitlement to receive benefits as other members of the general population and are subject to the same qualifying criteria. My Department has not held discussions with the Department of Social Security other than to ensure that Service personnel and families are not penalised as a result of their required mobility.

MOD Ministers and officials discuss periodically with other Government Departments, including the Department of Social Security, a range of policy issues affecting the Service community. Most recently these discussions have taken place within the forum of the Service Families Task Force.

The independent Armed Forces Pay Review Body provides robust arrangements for a fair level of remuneration for the Armed Forces and ensures that Services' pay does not fall below the national minimum wage. This year's Armed Forces Pay Review Body award was above inflation, implemented in full, on time and un-staged for the first time since 1995.

20 Dec 1999 : Column: 357W

Disciplinary Procedures

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average (a) cost and (b) length, in each armed service, of (i) a summary hearing and (ii) a court-martial. [102531]

{**con**}{**/con**}

Mr. Spellar: (i) It is not possible to provide information for summary hearings. This level of detail is not recorded.

(ii) There are no detailed figures to indicate the average duration of a court-martial and costs for each trial are not recorded. However, calculations have been performed that show the average daily rate of a court-martial for each Service. They are as follows:

Naval Service

£1,200

Army

£1,600

RAF

£1,700.

Experience shows that a contested trial at court-martial lasts on average about two and a half days.

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for each armed service (a) how many applications were made for redress of grievance and (b) what was the average length of time between application and conclusion of the process, in each of the past five years. [102529]

Mr. Spellar: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel in (a) the Royal Navy, (b) the Army and (c) the RAF have elected for court-martial rather than face a summary hearing since 1997. [102525]

Mr. Spellar: There has not been a need to compile statistics across the Services in a way that would enable this information to be provided in detail. However, such figures as are available for the three Services indicate that less than 1 per cent. of those facing summary dealings have elected to be tried by court-martial.

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for each of the armed services, how many courts-martial have been convened in each of the past five years; and at what locations. [102528]

Mr. Spellar: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for each armed service, what is the average time a suspect spends in custody awaiting court martial. [102534]

Mr. Spellar: The information is as follows:

Army

Since January 1999, 70 soldiers in court martial cases have been held in close arrest for an average period of 80 days while awaiting trial for serious offences.

RN/RAF

No cases are recorded over the past three years of suspects held in custody awaiting court martial.

20 Dec 1999 : Column: 358W

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel in each of the armed services were (a) arrested by civilian police, (b) released by civilian police into the custody of the Royal Military Police, (c) arrested by civilian police and taken before a magistrate and (d) released from magistrates' courts into the custody of the Royal Military Police, in (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999. [102530]

Mr. Spellar: There has been no historical requirement to compile statistics across the three services in a way which would enable this detailed information to be provided.

Armed Forces Legal Branches

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are employed in the (a) Army legal service, (b) Royal Navy legal service and (c) the RAF legal service, broken down by (i) rank and (ii) grade; and at what locations they are based. [102532]

Mr. Spellar: The information is as follows:

Naval Service

The Naval Service does not have a dedicated legal service. There are, however, 33 qualified barristers in the Royal Navy, 17 of whom are serving in legal appointments. Details of barristers, ranks and grades in support are:

Naval Service	Number
(i) Ranks
Commodore	1
Commander	6	Barristers
Lieutenant Commander	7
Lieutenant	3
Warrant Officer	3
Chief Petty Officer	4
Petty Officer	3
Leading Rate	6
Able Rate	4
(ii) Grades
Administrative Officer	4
Civilian typist	1
Overall total staff	42

Locations
Portsmouth, London, Northwood, Yeovilton, Plymouth, Faslane.

Army	Number
(i) Ranks
Major General	1
Brigadier	2
Colonel	4
Lieutenant Colonel	16
Major	19
Captain	40
Warrant Officer	1 x 2
Warrant Officer	2 x 2
Staff Sergeant	1
Sergeant	1
(ii) Grades
Executive Officer	1
Administrative Officer	16
Administrative Assistant	5
Typists	17
Personal Secretary	3
Locally employed civilians	12
Overall total	142




Locations

20 Dec 1999 : Column: 359W

All Divisional Headquarters in the UK and Germany, Permanent Joint Headquarters Northwood, Joint Headquarters Germany, Bielefeld (Germany), RAF Uxbridge (Army Prosecuting Authority), Upavon and London (Directorate of Army Legal Services), Glasgow (Military Secretary), Headquarters British Forces Cyprus, HQ Land, Headquarters Royal Marines Portsmouth, HQ Northern Ireland, SHAPE Belgium, Kosovo, Bosnia and Georgia, and one exchange officer in Australia.

RAF	Number
(i) Ranks
Air Vice Marshal	1
Air Commodore	1
Group Captain	3
Wing Commander	7
Squadron Leader	7
Flight Lieutenant	8
(ii) Grades
Retired Officer	1
Executive Officer	1
Administrative Officer	2
Personal Secretary	2
Administrative Assistant	1
Typist	1
Locally Employed Civilians	7
Overall total	43

Locations

Innsworth, High Wycombe, Northern Ireland, Cyprus and Germany.

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) service personnel and (b) civilian dependants have sought and received advice from the legal branches of each armed service; and how many of those received advice (i) by telephone, (ii) by letter, (iii) by clients visiting legal branch offices and (iv) by legal specialists visiting clients (1) at UK locations and (2) overseas locations, specifying the locations in each case. [102526]

Mr. Spellar: To establish which of this information is held by the three services could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.

Absence without Leave

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in each armed service, how many personnel (a) went absent without leave and (b) deserted in each of the last three years. [102533]

Mr. Spellar: The services do not hold statistics relating to the number of personnel who went absent without leave in each of the last three years. However, the figures relating to incidents of absences without leave among personnel, which could include more than one instance of absence by an individual, is as follows:

Year	Royal Navy	Royal Marines	Army	Royal Air Force
1996	45	10	1,345	36
1997	32	10	1,355	23
1998	28	6	1,722	26

There were no deserters from the Royal Navy or Royal Marines within the last three years. Figures are not held by the Army. RAF records reflect the year in which an individual was convicted at court-martial. These are as follows:

20 Dec 1999 : Column: 360W

Year	Royal Air Force
1996	3
1997	1
1998	2

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