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24 July 2006 : Column 790W—continued

Reliable information on Royal Navy Reserve functional categories is not held centrally and can be collated only at disproportionate cost. A breakdown by units is shown as follows.

Royal Navy Reserves as at 31 March 2005
Number
	Male	Officers female	Total	Male	Other ranks female	Total
All units	760	230	1,000	1,160	440	1,600
HMS Calliope	40	10	40	70	20	100
HMS Cambria	30	10	40	60	20	80
HMS Caroline	20	10	30	50	30	70
HMS Dalriada	20	10	30	50	30	80
HMS Eaglet	50	20	80	120	40	160
HMS Ferret	50	20	60	—	—	—
HMS Flying Fox	20	10	30	60	20	80
HMS Forward	30	—	30	80	30	110
HMS King Alfred	80	20	100	80	50	130
HMS President	100	30	120	110	50	160
HMS Scotia	40	10	50	90	30	120
HMS Sherwood	30	10	40	70	30	100
HMS Vivid	30	20	50	90	40	130
HMS Wildfire	30	20	40	30	30	70
Air Branch	160	10	170	190	20	200
Mine Warfare Clearance Diver	—	—	—	10	—	10
Media Relations	30	40	70	—	—	—
Source: RNR database

Royal Navy Reserves as at 31 March 2006
Number
	Male	Officers female	Total	Male	Other ranks female	Total
All units	770	210	980	1,050	360	1,410
HMS Calliope	30	10	40	70	20	80
HMS Cambria	30	10	30	40	20	60
HMS Caroline	20	10	20	50	20	70
HMS Dalriada	20	10	30	50	20	70
HMS Eaglet	50	20	70	100	30	140
HMS Ferret	50	10	60	—	—	—
HMS Flying Fox	30	—	30	50	20	60
HMS Forward	30	—	30	60	20	80
HMS King Alfred	90	20	100	70	40	110
HMS President	100	30	120	110	40	160
HMS Scotia	40	10	40	80	30	110
HMS Sherwood	40	—	40	60	30	90
HMS Vivid	30	20	50	80	30	120
HMS Wildfire	30	20	50	30	20	50
Air Branch	160	10	170	180	20	200
Mine Warfare Clearance Diver	—	—	—	20	—	20
Media Relations	40	30	70	—	—	—
Source: RNR database

24 July 2006 : Column 791W

Reservists

Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to compensate and support small and medium-sized enterprises with key members of staff serving as called up reservists fulfilling long-term postings; and if he will make a statement. [87914]

Mr. Watson: The Reserve Forces Act 1996 allows payments to Reservists and/or their employers when the former are called out into permanent service. The detailed regulations are set out in a Statutory Instrument (SI 859), which came into force in April 2005.

Under these regulations employers can claim up to £110 per day (approximately £40,000 per year) to cover certain additional costs arising from their employee’s absence. Employers may also claim certain one-off costs such as agency fees and re-training costs.

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