House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 26 Jun 2006 (pt 1185)

Army Recruitment

18. Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent trend he has identified in levels of recruitment to the Army. [79727]

Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Ludlow (Mr. Dunne).

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many applications from Northern Ireland to join the Army were rejected on national security grounds in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05. [78770]

Mr. Watson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer he was given on 12 September 2005, Official Report, columns 2276-77W. From 21 July 2005 until 31 December 2005 four more applications from Northern Ireland to join the Army were rejected on national security grounds.

Veterans Challenge Fund

19. Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the performance of the Veterans Challenge Fund. [79728]

Mr. Watson: The Veterans Challenge Fund has allowed substantial improvements to be made to the work of Government and other organisations addressing the needs of veterans. Over 50 projects have been supported, covering issues from homelessness and suicide among veterans to recognition of their achievements. A full list of the projects that have received challenge fund backing can be found on the Veterans Agency website. We have work in hand to improve understanding of the purpose and availability of the fund.

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Cadet Forces

21. Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the contribution cadet forces make to the wider community. [79730]

23. Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps his Department has taken to support the cadet forces. [79733]

Mr. Watson: I refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Bridgend (Mrs. Moon).

Military Aircraft

22. Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of military aircraft are available for frontline service. [79732]

Mr. Ingram: I have taken aircraft “available for frontline service” to mean those aircraft that are “fit for purpose”; that is assessed to be available for tasking within a 24 hour period. On that basis, over the first two months of this financial year, about 480 aircraft across Strike Command, Joint Helicopter Command and the Royal Navy were fit for purpose, equating to around half of total fleet numbers.

Aircraft are not available for tasking if they are undergoing scheduled maintenance, modification programmes or any unforeseen rectification work, and an aircraft assessed as not fit for purpose may be returned to the front line at very short notice to meet the operational need.

Some training aircraft and helicopters are not included in these figures. I will place details of these figures in the Library of the House.

Falklands War

24. Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce details of events to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Falklands War in 2007. [79734]

Mr. Watson: My right hon. Friend the former Defence Secretary announced in a written ministerial statement on 27 April plans for the commemoration next year of the 25th Anniversary of the Falklands Conflict. We are planning major events in the UK and the Falkland Islands and are working closely with veterans organisations and others to ensure their success.

Veterans

Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact of the veterans’ badge scheme. [79724]

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Mr. Watson: Over 250,000 badges have so far been issued to veterans who left the armed forces before the end of 1954 at a rate of up to 5,000 per week. I am sure many hon. Members on both sides will agree with me that the badge has had a remarkably positive impact. I have been invited to several badge presentations organised by hon. Members and have never failed to be heartened by the pleasure these badges are clearly giving to our veterans. From tomorrow applications will be accepted from those who served up to 31 December 1959 and will be extended further on a phased basis to all qualifying veterans as soon as practicable. In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister launched the UK Merchant Seafarers Veteran’s Badge on 24 June and applications will be accepted from tomorrow for those eligible up to the end of 1959.

Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what events have been organised in Scotland to celebrate Veterans Day. [76282]

Mr. Watson: The main event in Scotland to celebrate Veterans Day will be held in Dundee on 1 July and will include a Veterans Badge presentation, a parade of veterans and veterans entertainment in the Town Hall. Veterans Day events are also being planned elsewhere, including Lairg, Dunfermline and Crieff and on the former Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh.

A303(T) Stonehenge

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when since January 2006 Ministers, officials and other employees or consultants working for his Department have (a) met and (b) had discussions with representatives of the National Trust on the northern corridor proposals for a route for the A303(T) north of Stonehenge; and if he will make a statement. [79406]

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Mr. Watson: Neither Ministers nor officials have met with representatives of the National Trust (NT) to discuss Stonehenge road issues since 16 January 2006, when NT and Defence estate officials last met. The chief executive of Defence estates met with the director general of the National Trust on 8 February to discuss general issues.

Air Training Corps Squadrons

Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of Air Training Corps Squadrons. [78963]

Mr. Ingram: There are no significant changes planned with regard to the Air Training Corps or its Squadrons. The Air Training Corps continues to promote a practical interest in aviation and the Royal Air Force; to provide training useful to Service or civilian employment; and to encourage good citizenship and leadership, as well as a sense of adventure among young men and women. The Air Training Corps will continue to be supported by the Royal Air Force, and is an integral part of the Government's Over-Arching Youth Strategy.

Armed Forces (Foreign Personnel)

Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many non-Commonwealth foreign servicemen are serving in the armed forces, broken down by (a) country of origin and (b) service. [79107]

Mr. Watson [holding answer 20 June 2006]: The number of non-Commonwealth foreign UK regular service personnel serving in the armed forces at 1 April 2006, broken down by nationality, are shown in the following table:

Country	All services	Naval service	Army^{( 1)}	Royal Air Force^{( 2)}
Total non-Commonwealth Foreign Service Personnel	⁽³⁾390	70	⁽³⁾255	⁽³⁾70
France	^(3, 4)—	0	^(3, 4)—	⁽³⁾0
Germany⁽⁵⁾	^(3, 4)—	⁽⁴⁾—	^(3, 4)—	⁽³⁾0
Egypt	^(3, 4)—	0	⁽³⁾0	^(3, 4)—
Eire	⁽³⁾330	50	⁽³⁾215	⁽³⁾60
Nepal	⁽³⁾30	0	⁽³⁾30	⁽³⁾0
Switzerland	^(3, 4)—	0	^(3, 4)—	⁽³⁾0
Ukraine	^(3, 4)—	⁽⁴⁾—	⁽³⁾0	⁽³⁾0
United Arab Emirates	⁽³⁾10	10	⁽³⁾0	⁽³⁾0
USA	⁽³⁾5	⁽⁴⁾—	^(3, 4)—	^(3, 4)—
Other non-Commonwealth Personnel⁽⁶⁾	⁽³⁾5	0	⁽³⁾5	⁽³⁾0
Not Known	⁽³⁾540	505	⁽³⁾25	⁽³⁾10
⁽¹⁾ Army figures are provisional pending investigation. ⁽²⁾ Due to the introduction of a new personnel administration system for RAF, all RAF data are provisional and subject to review. RAF data are for personnel serving at 6 March 2006. They include personnel who at that date had attested but had not begun basic training. ⁽³⁾ Provisional. ⁽⁴⁾ Fewer than five. ⁽⁵⁾ Includes personnel with nationality recorded as West German. ⁽⁶⁾ Includes personnel with nationality recorded as foreign/foreign. Notes: 1. Data are rounded to the nearest five to prevent disclosure of sensitive information. 2. Data are for UK regular forces (trained and untrained), including nursing services and excluding full-time reserve service personnel, Gurkhas, the home service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised reservists.

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Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Commonwealth servicemen there are in the British armed forces, broken down by (a) country of posting and (b) service. [79108]

Mr. Watson [holding answer 20 June 2006]: Figures showing the posted location of United Kingdom regular forces from Commonwealth countries can be found in the following table.

Commonwealth UK regular service personnel broken down by posted location at 1 April 2006
Posted country	All services	Naval service	Army	RAF
Belgium	^(1, 2)—	0	^(1, 2)—	^(1, 2)—
Belize	^(1, 2)—	0	^(1, 2)—	⁽¹⁾0
British Indian Ocean Territory	^(1, 2)—	⁽²⁾—	⁽¹⁾0	⁽¹⁾0
Brunei	^(1, 2)—	0	^(1, 2)—	⁽¹⁾0
Canada	⁽¹⁾5	0	⁽¹⁾5	⁽¹⁾0
Cyprus	⁽¹⁾90	0	⁽¹⁾85	^(1, 2)—
Falkland Islands	⁽¹⁾25	0	⁽¹⁾25	⁽¹⁾0
Germany	⁽¹⁾1,460	0	⁽¹⁾1,460	⁽¹⁾0
Gibraltar	^(1, 2)—	0	^(1, 2)—	⁽¹⁾0
Iraq	^(1, 2)—	⁽²⁾—	⁽¹⁾0	⁽¹⁾0
Kuwait	^(1, 2)—	0	⁽¹⁾0	^(1, 2)—
Netherlands	^(1, 2)—	0	⁽¹⁾0	^(1, 2)—
Oman	^(1, 2)—	0	⁽¹⁾0	^(1, 2)—
Saudi Arabia	^(1, 2)—	0	⁽¹⁾0	^(1, 2)—
Sierra Leone	^(1, 2)—	0	^(1, 2)—	⁽¹⁾0
United Kingdom	⁽¹⁾5,405	390	⁽¹⁾4,815	⁽¹⁾200
United States of America	^(1, 2)—	0	^(1, 2)—	^(1, 2)—
Other	^(1, 2)—	0	^(1, 2)—	⁽¹⁾0
Total	⁽¹⁾7,005	395	⁽¹⁾6,405	⁽¹⁾210
⁽¹⁾ Provisional. ⁽²⁾ Less than five. Notes: 1. Data are for UK regular forces (trained and untrained), including nursing services and excluding full-time reserve service personnel, Ghurkhas, the home service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised reservists. 2. Location is based on the posted location of the unit/posting which an individual is recorded against. Personnel deployed on operations to an area away from their posted unit location are shown against their posted unit location. 3. Data are rounded to the nearest five to prevent disclosure of sensitive information. 4. Army figures are provisional pending investigation. 5. Due to the introduction of a new personnel administration system for RAF, all RAF data are provisional and subject to review. RAF data are for personnel serving at 6 March 2006. They include personnel who at that date had attested but had not begun basic training. 6. These figures do not include 540 (provisional) UK regular service personnel who have an unknown nationality marker.

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