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Defence Medical Services

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many clinicians have (a) joined and (b) left the Defence Medical Services in each of the last 10 years. [14304]

Dr. Moonie: The numbers of trained medical and dental officers joining and leaving the Defence Medical Services (DMS) in the last nine financial years are provided in the table. No figures are available before financial year 1992–93. Trained medical officers have completed a medical degree, finished a year as a pre-registered medical practitioner and undertaken their initial officer training.

Trained dental officers have completed a dental degree and their initial officer training. The intake figures include those who have completed their medical or dental training under DMS sponsorship.

	Medical officers			Dental officers
Year	Intake	Trained outflow	Net difference	Intake	Trained outflow	Net difference
2000–01	68	59	9	22	17	5
1999–2000	76	71	5	19	26	-7
1998–99	71	75	-4	30	25	5
1997–98	62	83	-21	16	23	-7
1996–97	86	160	-74	19	39	-20
1995–96	64	170	-106	14	37	-23
1994–95	51	120	-69	13	37	-24
1993–94	35	78	-43	19	34	-15
1992–93	72	80	-8	25	31	-6

Notes:

1. The figures in the table include transfers between the services, re-entrants and transfers from medical specialties to dentistry.

2. It is not possible to identify the exact intake dates of army medical and dental officers. The Army intake figures included in the table have been calculated by taking the difference in strengths at the beginning and the end of the year plus the outflow.

3. The intake figures comprise former medical and dental cadets and, in the RAF, former bursars plus direct entrant qualified doctors and dentists.

22 Nov 2001 : Column: 375W

Territorial Army

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the changes he is making to the advertising account for the Territorial Army. [17079R]

Dr. Moonie: Following a restructuring of the external marketing operations of the Army Training and Recruiting Agency's recruiting division, the decision has been taken to seek a re-tender for the national advertising contract for both the Territorial and the Regular Armies. The requirement will be re-tendered over the next few weeks and it is hoped to identify the successful tenderer in mid-December.

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 7 November 2001, Official Report, column 250W, on the Territorial Army, if he will make a statement about the reasons for which those members of the Territorial Army unfit for role have been so categorised. [14377]

Dr. Moonie: The Ministry of Defence does not specifically categorise members of the Territorial Army (TA) as unfit for role.

As I explained in my answer to the hon. Member on 7 November 2001, Official Report, column 250W, members of the TA are considered fit for role when they have completed two phases of training which will vary in length depending on an individual's role and trade. Given that the fit for role numbers are based on 100 per cent. of deployable establishments, the majority of those who have not yet achieved fit for role status are undergoing their required training.

The Strategic Defence Review concluded that, in the light of the likely warning time for any large deployment, just over half the TA strength should be fit for role at any

22 Nov 2001 : Column: 376W

one time and as I explained in my answer on 26 October 2001, Official Report, columns 403–04W, to the hon. Member for Hereford (Mr. Keetch) the TA is very close to meeting that requirement.

Unlike the Regular Army, the TA holds its untrained soldier strength against its deployable establishment and in order to replace the TA wastage of 25–30 per cent. per year, equivalent numbers of personnel must be recruited and trained to the required standard.

Military Exercises

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many exercises involving tactical air transport have been (a) cancelled and (b) reduced over the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [15229]

Mr. Ingram: Since 1 April 2000 when records on the cancellation of exercises involving the tactical air transport element began, 10 exercises have been cancelled. Records were not maintained before this date. The cancellation of these exercises has had no impact on our ability to conduct operations. Records of exercise reduction are not maintained.

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the military exercises that have been cancelled in the last 24 months together with the reason for cancellation. [14470]

Mr. Ingram: The table covers those exercises from the Ministry of Defence's Defence Exercise Programme (which lists some 350 exercises each year), the exercise programmes of the Front Line Commands, the Permanent Joint HQ and the Defence Logistic Organisation HQ which have been cancelled in the last 24 months. It does not include unit-organised exercises, details of which are not held centrally and which could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Exercise name	Dates	Location	Reason for cancellation
(a)	(b)	(c)	(d)
Tartan Eagle	January–September 2000	UK/USA	Americans reduced annual commitment to one reciprocal exercise a year. Two exercises, one in the UK and one in the USA, were cancelled as a result.
Aswex 00	10–21 January 2000	South western approaches	Lack of funding
Winter Deployment 00	January–March 2000	Norway	Lack of funding
Hairspring 00	March 2000	Norway	Lack of funding
JTFEX 1/00	3–15 April 2000	USA	UK assets withdrawn and re-programmed to another exercise
Dynamic Mix 00	20 May–10 June 2000	Med	Operational commitments (Sierra Leone)
Sharem 133	11–18 June 2000	Med	Operational commitments (Sierra Leone)
Entgrou 2/00	25 September–5 October 2000	France	UK assets withdrawn and re-programmed to another exercise
Unified Spirit 00	5–27 October 2000	USA	Operational commitments (Sierra Leone)
Niriis 00	20–30 November 2000	Greece	UK assets withdrawn and re-programmed to another exercise
Joint Winter 01	5–16 March 2001	Norway	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Hairspring 01	5–18 March 2001	Norway	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Tradewinds 01	1 April–31 May 2001	Caribbean	Lack of funding
Rolling Deep 01	8–21 May 2001	UK	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Dynamic Mix 00	20 May–10 June 2000	Med	Operational commitments (Sierra Leone)
Burmese Chase 01	June–July 2001	USA	RAF Air Transport unavailable due to other operational and exercise tasking
Final Nail	July 2001	UK	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Joint Spirit	1–30 September 2001	USA	Events of September 11th
Tartan Eagle	September 2001	USA	Operational commitments (Sierra Leone)
Sea Dagger	September 2001	UAE	Events of September 11th
Ursa Minor 01	October 2001	Bulgaria	RAF Air Transport unavailable due to other other operational and exercise tasking
Spirochaete	8–26 October 2001	UK	UK assets withdrawn and re-programmed to another exercise
Highport	10 May 2001	Scotland	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Lonestar	31 May 2001	Scotland	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Lion Sun 15/99	October/November 1999	Cyprus	Lack of funding
Ferro Ariete/Iron Ram	November 1999	UK/Italy	Operational commitments (Kosovo)
Cossak Steppe	November 1999	Poland	Operational commitments (Kosovo)
Winged Star	December 1999	UK	Operational commitments (Kosovo)
Gobi Dust	November 1999	USA	Operational commitments (Kosovo)
Druids Dance 8/99	November/December 1999	UK	Operational commitments (Kosovo)
Rhino Charge	6–22 January 2001	Germany	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Snow Shoe	January–March 2000	Canada	To reduce unit commitment
Thor/Odin	Two 2–week reciprocal exercises March-December 2000	Denmark	Cancelled by Host Nation
Ferro Ariete/Iron Ram	March 2000	UK/Italy	Operational commitments (Kosovo)
Marble Tor 2/00	29 April–13 May 2000	Gibraltar	RAF Air Transport unavailable due to other operational and exercise tasking
Ponte Vehio 00	Two weeks April–November 2000	Italy	Cancelled by Host Nation
Asterix Sapper	Two weeks April–November 2000	France	Cancelled by Host Nation
Gaulish Star 2/00	May 2000	France	Operational commitments (Kosovo)
Pond Jump West 2/00	11 July-23 August 2000	Canada	Operational commitments (Kosovo)
Lion Sun 03/01	4 February–4 March 2001	Cyprus	RAF Air Transport unavailable due to other operational and exercise tasking
Lion Sun 3/01	5 February–5 March 2001	Cyprus	RAF Air Transport unavailable due to other operational and exercise tasking
Ponte Vecchio/Tower Bridge 00	Never confirmed	Italy	Cancelled by host nation
Ponte Vecchio/Tower Bridge 01	Never confirmed	Italy	Cancelled by host nation
Iron Ram/Ferro Arriete 01	Never confirmed	Italy	Cancelled by host nation
Roman Eagle 01	Never confirmed	Italy	Cancelled by host nation
Arrcade Guard	March 2001	GE	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Adventure Express 01	March 2001	Albania	Cancelled due to concerns over force protection
Swabian Crusade	12–20 March 2001	Germany	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Premier Link	19 March–1 April 2001	Germany	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Thor/Odin	Two reciprocal exercises March-December 2001	Denmark	UK assets withdrawn and re-programmed to another exercise
Arrcade Guard 01	18–30 March 2001	Germany	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Artful Image	12–16 March 2001	Germany	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Gobidust/Steerspike	n/a	USA	Cancelled by host nation
Pacific Kukuri 1/01	2 April–7 May 2001	Hawaii	Cancelled by host nation
Cobb Ring	1–23 April 2001	USA	RAF Air Transport unavailable due to other operational and exercise tasking
Cygnet Vine	April/May 2001	Cyprus	RAF Air Transport unavailable due to other operational and exercise tasking
Medicine Man 1	22 April–16 May 2001	Canada	Operational commitments (Bosnia)
Rhino Charge	April 2001	Germany	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Ardent Ground 01	15 April–18 May 2001	Poland	Cancelled by host nation
Druids Dance 3/01	14 May–3 June 2001	UK	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Active Improvement	7–18	Germany	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Cygnet Virgin	May/June 2001	British Virgin Islands	RAF Air Transport unavailable due to other operational and exercise tasking
Gaulish 3	21 May–3 June 2001	France	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Asterix 3	21 May–3 June 2001	France	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Pondjump West 1/01	30 May–11 July 2001	Canada	Operational commitments (Kosovo)
Gloworm/Rattlesnake	9–23 June 2001	USA	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Mulberry Tree/Prickly Pear	2–15 June 2001	USA	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Orient Express 1/02	30 June–13 July 2001	Belgium	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Paper Chase	19–30 July 2001	Germany	Cancelled by host nation
Rhino Spear 01	1–15 July 2001	Germany	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Orient Express 2/02	14–28 July 2001	Belgium	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Lion Sun 10/01	23 July–20 August 2001	Cyprus	Operational commitments (Bosnia)
Asterix 4	July 2001	France	Cancelled by host nation
Lion Sun 12/01	20 August–17 September 2001	Cyprus	Operational commitments (Bosnia)
Wet Gap	1–15 October 2001	Germany	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Britannia Way/Iberian Focus 01	15–26 October 2001	Spain	Cancelled by host nation
Hard Flint	13 May–8 June 2000	Canada	Operational commitments (Sierra Leone)
Collective Training 00	27 September–5 October 2000	UK	National fuel crisis-uncertainty of impact on fuel reserves prevented deploying forces to exercise area
Snow Falcon	25 September–6 October 2000	Norway	Operational commitments (Sierra Leone)
Jagged Corse	16–27 October 2000	Corsica	Operational commitments (Sierra Leone)
Sqn Bilat 5/00	30 October–3 November 2000	Slovakia	Operational commitments (Sierra Leone)
Ample Train	March 2001	Europe	RAF Air Transport unavailable due to other operational and exercise tasking
Collective Training 01	12–24 May 2001	UK	Foot and mouth disease restrictions
Chef de Mission	24 September–5 October 2001	France	Operational commitments (Veritas)

22 Nov 2001 : Column: 379W

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