29 Oct 2007 : Column 942W—continued
Armed Forces: Discharges
Dr. Fox:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the voluntary outflow exit rates are of each pinch point trade in the armed forces; [154236]
(2) by what percentage each pinch point trade in the armed forces is exceeding harmony guidelines. [154237]
Derek Twigg:
Details of pinch point trades exceeding harmony guidelines(1) and voluntary outflow rates in these particular trades are provided in the following tables(2).
Some pinch points record no harmony breaches. These groups, often with very small populations of specialists, have to be managed on a tri-Service basis in order to maintain harmony. This is successfully done by the use of reserves or contractors to solve the problem in the short term or to call upon the other two Services to assist. For example, the Defence Medical Services may deploy tri-Service teams to field hospitals on operations. This enables individuals' harmony to be maintained and enables Force Commanders to retain operational capability, although undermanning in the trade still means it is categorised as a pinch point.
Voluntary outflow is not directly linked to frequency of deployments. People leave the Services for a whole number of reasons; frequency of deployments is just one.
(1 )Each Service has its own harmony guidelines. The Royal Navy measures time away over a three-year period, the Army over a 30-month period and the RAF over a 12-month period.
| Royal Navy— Pinch p oint |
| Percentage |
| | Percentage of current (1 July) population breaching harmony guidelines | Voluntary outflow rates over last 12 months( 1) |
|
Able Bodied Seaman
|
0.7
|
6.5
|
|
Merlin Pilots
|
0.0
|
4.0
|
|
Merlin Observers
|
0.0
|
1.7
|
|
Merlin Aircrew
|
0.0
|
5.0
|
|
Leading Hand Warfare
|
0.2
|
4.4
|
|
Able Bodied Diver
|
0.0
|
2.4
|
|
Royal Marines Other Ranks
|
0.1
|
6.3
|
|
Leading Hand Air Engineering Technician
|
0.0
|
2.0
|
|
Petty Officer Mine Warfare
|
0.0
|
5.4
|
|
Able Bodied Warfare Specialist (Sensors Submariner)
|
0.7
|
4.3
|
|
Able Bodied Warfare Specialist (Tactical Submariner)
|
0.0
|
6.5
|
29 Oct 2007 : Column 943W
29 Oct 2007 : Column 944W
|
Strategic Weapons Systems Junior Ranks
|
0.0
|
3.3
|
|
Nuclear Watchkeepers
|
0.0
|
2.7
|
(1) Voluntary outflow rates based as percentage of average population over period 1 July 2006 to 1 July 2007.
|
| Army—Pinch p oint—Summary over 30 months |
| Percentage |
| Trade | Percentage of strength over individual harmony guidelines as at January 2007 | Voluntary outflow rates a s at February 2007 (12 February 2006 to 12 February 2007) |
|
UK Trained Army Personnel
| | |
|
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Vehicle Mechanic 1
|
33.5
|
5.8
|
|
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Recovery Mechanic
|
31.2
|
5.7
|
|
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Armourer
|
26.9
|
5.1
|
|
Royal Engineers Clerk of Works
|
17.1
|
1.8
|
|
Army Medical Service—General Surgeon
|
16.7
|
0.0
|
|
Royal Engineers Mechanical Engineer Fitter
|
14.0
|
8.2
|
|
Royal Logistics Corps Ammunition Technician
|
13.6
|
4.2
|
|
Royal Logistic Corps—Postal and Courier Operator
|
11.6
|
5.9
|
|
Royal Logistics Corps Movement Controller
|
11.0
|
2.9
|
|
Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps—Radiographer
|
10.0
|
10.4
|
|
Royal Engineers Military Engineer Geographic
|
8.9
|
5.8
|
|
Intelligence Operational Military Intelligence
|
8.6
|
5.0
|
|
Royal Engineers Explosive Ordnance Disposal 2
|
8.2
|
3.8
|
|
Royal Signals Information Systems Engineer
|
7.6
|
3.7
|
|
Royal Engineers Command, Control and Communications Systems
|
7.6
|
9.5
|
|
Army Medical Service—General Medical Practitioner
|
5.1
|
5.8
|
|
Royal Logistics Corps Chef
|
4.8
|
2.5
|
|
Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps Operation Department Practitioner
|
3.7
|
3.6
|
|
Royal Logistics Corps Petroleum Operator
|
3.6
|
6.3
|
|
Army Medical Service—General Duties Nurse Soldier
|
3.4
|
10.3
|
|
Royal Artillery—Operator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
|
1.1
|
10.9
|
|
Army Medical Service—Nurse Officer
|
0.8
|
8.5
|
|
Army Medical Service—A&E Nurse Officer
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
|
Army Medical Service—Anaesthetist
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
|
Army Medical Service—Radiologist
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
|
Army Medical Service—Orthopaedic Surgeon
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
|
Army Medical Service—Intensive Therapy Unit Nurse Officer
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
| RAF—Operational pinch point |
| Percentage |
| Trade | Separated Service( 1) as at 1 May 2007 | Voluntary outflow rates as at 1 May 2007 |
|
Medical
|
9.9
|
2.3
|
|
Operational Support (Intelligence)
|
9.2
|
2.1
|
|
Operational Support (RAF Regiment)
|
20.4
|
2.7
|
|
Operational Support (Provost/Security)
|
11.9
|
5.1
|
|
Princess Mary's RAF Nursing Service
|
10.0
|
2.3
|
|
Weapons Support (Air Load Master)
|
4.4
|
0.6
|
|
Weapons Support (Linguist)
|
6.5
|
0.0
|
|
Air Traffic Control—Sergeant
|
3.2
|
2.3
|
|
Flight Operations Manager/Flight Operations Assistant—Sergeant
|
4.4
|
4.8
|
|
Firefighter
|
12.1
|
10.6
|
|
Gunner
|
22.2
|
5.3
|
|
Movements Operations/Controller
|
8.6
|
3.4
|
|
Motor Transport Technician
|
14.1
|
2.5
|
29 Oct 2007 : Column 945W
29 Oct 2007 : Column 946W
|
RAF Police
|
10.8
|
4.2
|
|
Staff Nurse (RGN) A&E
|
8.3
|
6.4
|
(1) The percentage of personnel within that trade that have completed more than 125 days separated service on operational deployments.
|
Armed Forces: Fees and Charges
Ann Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) officers and (b) sergeants on six-month operational tours have to pay a UK mess bill. [157166]
Derek Twigg:
Queen’s Regulations require Army officers and non-commissioned personnel in the rank of sergeant and above to be mess members at all times. This includes those on Operations. As such, they continue to pay a monthly subscription fee to their UK mess to cover the fixed overheads which arise irrespective of whether mess members are deployed e.g. staff costs and utilities.
Armed Forces: Fund Raising
Mr. MacNeil:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Defence Estates charges commission on the proceeds of fundraising activities undertaken by forces families conducted within the curtilage of its properties; and if he will make a statement. [156837]
Derek Twigg
[holding answer 11 October 2007]: Defence Estates (DE) does not levy any charges against the proceeds of fundraising activities. However, where publicly funded estate facilities are used in support of the fundraising activities, DE is required to assess and recover a charge based on the Department’s costs. It is common for these costs to be settled by organisers from the proceeds of the activity.
Armed Forces: Health Services
Nick Harvey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) actual strength, (b) establishment and (c) percentage difference between establishment and actual strength is of each specialty of qualified medical personnel in the Army. [158364]
Derek Twigg:
The following table shows the Army and tri-service requirement for each speciality of medical personnel set against the actual number of trained strength and the percentage difference. This is the endorsed Defence Medical Services manpower requirement announced to Parliament on 27 March 2007, Official Report, column 74WS.
There is no question of British forces deploying on military operations without the appropriate medical support. While shortfalls exist in some specialties, they have never resulted in the Defence Medical Services being unable to meet operational commitments. We manage medical deployments on a tri-service basis, allowing the work load to be shared more evenly and maximising capabilities. In addition we make use of reserves and civilian agency contractors and work closely with allies to ensure appropriate medical support is in place.
| | Army | Tri-service |
| Speciality | Requirement( 1) | Trained strength( 2) | Percentage difference | Requirement | Trained strength( 3) | Percentage difference |
|
Anaesthetists
|
50
|
20
|
-60.0
|
97
|
46
|
-52.6
|
|
Aviation Medicine
|
0
|
0
|
0.0
|
7
|
2
|
-71 A
|
|
General Physician
|
13
|
8
|
-38.5
|
29
|
16
|
-44.8
|
|
Dermatology
|
3
|
1
|
-66.7
|
3
|
1
|
-66.7
|
|
Emergency Medicine
|
24
|
11
|
-54.2
|
30
|
16
|
-46.7
|
|
Genitourinary Medicine
|
3
|
1
|
-66.7
|
3
|
1
|
-66.7
|
|
Neurologist
|
3
|
—
|
-100.0
|
3
|
1
|
-66.7
|
|
Radiologists
|
4
|
1
|
-75.0
|
6
|
6
|
0.0
|
|
Rehabilitation Medicine
|
6
|
3
|
-50.0
|
12
|
5
|
-58.3
|
|
General Surgeons
|
17
|
10
|
-41.2
|
39
|
20
|
-48.7
|
|
Burns and Plastic Surgeons
|
3
|
4
|
+33.3
|
6
|
6
|
0.0
|
|
Ear Nose and Throat Surgeons
|
2
|
3
|
+50.0
|
5
|
7
|
+40.0
|
|
Gynaecological Surgeons
|
3
|
0
|
-100.0
|
3
|
0
|
100.0
|
|
Maxillofacial Surgeons
|
5
|
4
|
-20.0
|
9
|
7
|
-22.2
|
|
Neurosurgeons
|
3
|
0
|
-100.0
|
3
|
0
|
-100.0
|
|
Ophthalmologic Surgeons
|
3
|
3
|
0.0
|
5
|
5
|
0.0
|
|
Orthopaedic Surgeons
|
14
|
7
|
-50.0
|
28
|
21
|
-25.0
|
|
Pathologists
|
2
|
0
|
-100.0
|
7
|
2
|
-71.4
|
|
Haematology
|
3
|
0
|
-100.0
|
3
|
0
|
-100.0
|
|
Microbiology
|
3
|
0
|
-100.0
|
4
|
1
|
-75.0
|
|
Psychiatrists
|
16
|
6
|
-62.5
|
28
|
13
|
-53.6
|
|
Paediatrics
|
0
|
1
|
+100.0
|
0
|
1
|
+100.0
|
29 Oct 2007 : Column 947W
29 Oct 2007 : Column 948W
|
Urology
|
0
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
1
|
+100.0
|
|
Occupational Medicine
|
12
|
18
|
+50.0
|
32
|
34
|
+6.3
|
|
Diving
|
0
|
0
|
0.0
|
4
|
3
|
-25.0
|
|
Radiation
|
0
|
0
|
0.0
|
3
|
3
|
0.0
|
|
Aviation (RN and Army)
|
9
|
5
|
-44.4
|
13
|
9
|
-30.8
|
|
Public Health
|
5
|
7
|
+40.0
|
6
|
11
|
+83.0
|
|
General Medical Practitioner
|
155
|
155
|
0.0
|
321
|
296
|
-7.8
|
|
GDMO
|
68
|
100
|
+47.1
|
107
|
100
|
-6.5
|
|
Dentist
|
136
|
128
|
-5.9
|
249
|
244
|
-2.0
|
(1) Requirement figure includes command and staff and manning and training margin (MTM)
(2) Source data—Defence Medical Services Quarterly manning returns 1 April 2007
(3) Includes qualified medical personnel who are in career directed professional training
|
