House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 18 Feb 2008 (pt 0017)

18 Feb 2008 : Column 68W—continued

18 Feb 2008 : Column 69W

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions the armed forces in Northern Ireland offered assistance in non-military situations other than those involving civil disturbance in 2007. [185841]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: It is not the policy of the Ministry of Defence to offer assistance in non-military situations. Any assistance is provided in response to a specific request from the civil authorities, and in light of an assessment of the available capabilities and the appropriateness of the task. Examples of such assistance in Northern Ireland in the last twelve months include assistance in sandbagging in response to summer flooding at Comber and Downpatrick and helicopter support for the coastguard in a search for missing persons in Castlewellan Lake.

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK personnel were deployed on operations at each location at the most recent date for which figures are available. [186299]

Des Browne: The following table shows the number of UK service personnel deployed on operations by location at 4 February 2008. The number of personnel in theatre will naturally fluctuate on a daily basis for a variety of reasons, including leave (rest and recuperation), temporary absence for training, evacuation for medical reasons, the roulement of forces and other factors. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10, apart from Iraq and Afghanistan which have been rounded to the nearest hundred.

Number of personnel deployed by location^{( 1)}
Location	Number
Of which:
Afghanistan	7,000
Iraq	4,200
At sea	600
Qatar	420
Kuwait	390
Cyprus	280
Oman	190
Kosovo	120
Bahrain	60
Bosnia	10
Other	30
Total	13,280
⁽¹⁾ Countries with 10 or more personnel are shown separately. Other countries with fewer than 10 personnel per country include Georgia, Nepal, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia.

Armed Forces: Desertion

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel are recorded as absent without leave, broken down by (a) unit and (b) nationality. [182429]

Derek Twigg [holding answer 25 January 2008]: An individual who goes absent without leave (AWOL) will be recorded as such until they have been arrested, their death certificate is produced, or they have surrendered themself.

18 Feb 2008 : Column 70W

For the Army and Royal Air Force, information on the unit of individuals and on their nationality is not held centrally and could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost. Of the incidents of reported AWOL between 1 January 1997 and 29 January 2008, there are 1,201 Army and 17 RAF personnel who remain AWOL. A comprehensive figure, including those who went AWOL prior to 1 January 1997 and who have not been arrested, their death certificate produced, or have surrendered themself, cannot be provided because of the unreliability of some historical data.

The Royal Navy has a continuous run of data on individuals who remain AWOL. As at 25 January 2008 there are 11 Navy personnel AWOL:

AWOL	Unit	Nationality
1	HMS Bulwark	British
1	HMS Cumberland	British
3	HMS Illustrious	British
1	HMS Kent	British
1	HMS Liverpool	British
2	HMS Nelson	British
1	HMS Sovereign	British
1	HMS York	Fijian

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel were disciplined for going absent without leave in each of the last 10 years, broken down by service. [184314]

Derek Twigg: Data relating to those found guilty of being absent without leave (AWOL) are shown in the following tables. Data are recorded differently by each of the three services; therefore the given figures are not directly comparable on a tri-service basis. All numbers are rounded to the nearest five.

Royal Navy
	Summary dealing	Court martial
1998	—	5
1999	—	⁽¹⁾—
2000	—	⁽¹⁾—
2001	1,095	0
2002	1,085	5
2003	1,345	10
2004	1,105	5
2005	985	20
2006	1,100	5
2007	625	10
⁽¹⁾ Denotes fewer than five. Notes: 1. Formal absenteeism (AWOL) is recorded by the Royal Navy once an individual has been absent for more than 24 hours. The figures provided for summary dealings include minor offences where an individual is absent for less than 24 hours (e.g. late for a parade). To separate out this data would incur disproportionate cost. 2. Information on summary dealings prior to 1 January 2001 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. 3. Figures provided for 2007 are as at 4 February 2008 and may be subject to change.

18 Feb 2008 : Column 71W

Army
	Summary dealing	Court martial
1998	—	90
1999	—	110
2000	—	110
2001	2,335	145
2002	2,490	135
2003	2,555	130
2004	2,355	140
2005	1,975	185
2006	1,540	295
2007	1,400	270
Notes: 1. The figures provided for summary dealing give the number of charges of AWOL, not the number of individuals. The figures could therefore include repeat offenders. 2. Information on summary dealings prior to 2 October 2000 is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

18 Feb 2008 : Column 72W

Royal Air Force
	Summary dealing (officers only)	Court martial (all ranks)
2000	0	⁽¹⁾—
2001	0	⁽¹⁾—
2002	⁽¹⁾—	⁽¹⁾—
2003	0	0
2004	0	0
2005	0	0
2006	0	⁽¹⁾—
2007	0	⁽¹⁾—
⁽¹⁾ Denotes fewer than five. Notes: 1. Information prior to 1 January 2000 is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. 2. Instances of AWOL by other ranks which were dealt with summarily are not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Foreign Workers

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many non-UK nationals served in the armed forces in each of the last 10 years, broken down by nationality. [182430]

Derek Twigg [holding answer 25 January 2008]: The following table shows the number of full-time non-UK nationals serving in the UK armed forces^(1,2,3,4) by nationality as at 1 April each year.

18 Feb 2008 : Column 73W

18 Feb 2008 : Column 74W

	Army only								Army and RAF only	All services
Nationality	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Afghan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—
American	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Ascension Islander	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—
Antiguan	0	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Australian	65	65	70	75	75	80	80	75	80	90
Austrian	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bahamian	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—	0	⁽⁵⁾—
Bangalee	0	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	5	5	10
Barbadian	5	5	5	5	5	10	10	10	10	15
Belizean	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	5	⁽⁵⁾—	5
Botswana	0	0	0	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	5	5	10
Bruneian	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Cameroonian	0	0	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	10	15	20	35
Canadian	60	75	70	70	65	60	60	60	60	85
Chinese	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—
Kittian and Nevisian	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Cypriot	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Danish	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Dominican	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	0	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	10	15	10	25
Dutch	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	0	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—
Egyptian	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	0	0	0	0
Falkland Islander	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	0
Fijian	⁽⁵⁾—	20	335	585	1,055	1,485	1,730	1,915	1,995	2,030
French	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Gambian	0	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	5	15	35	60	65	80	125
German	5	5	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	5	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Ghanaian	5	5	5	20	100	235	435	555	660	790
Gibraltarian	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Greek	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—
Grenadian	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	10	15	30	45	50	50	60
Guyanese	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	5	10	15	15	20
Indian	10	15	15	15	20	25	35	45	45	70
Iranian	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	0	0	0
Iraqi	0	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	0	0	0	0
Irish	250	245	240	230	205	200	205	210	240	290
Italian	0	⁽⁵⁾—	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Jamaican	25	30	35	75	240	615	910	965	985	950
Jordanian	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Kenyan	⁽⁵⁾—	5	5	15	25	40	70	85	105	140
Libyan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—
Malawian	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	5	25	55	75	95	125
Malaysian	⁽⁵⁾—	5	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	5	5	5	5
Maltese	10	10	10	5	5	10	10	5	5	5
Mauritanian	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Mauritian	0	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—	5	10	15	20	25	30
Monserrat Islander	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Namibian	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Nepalese	3,645	3,630	3,680	3,790	3,805	3,775	3,735	3,720	3,690	3,725
New Zealander	55	55	55	60	60	75	75	70	65	80
Nigerian	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	5	15	30	45	55	65	90
Norwegian	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	0	0	0	0
Pacific Islander	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	0	0
Pakistani	5	5	5	5	5	5	10	10	10	10
Papua New Guinean	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Polish	⁽⁵⁾—	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Saint Lucian	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	15	205	220	225	225	240
Saudi Arabian	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5
Seychellois	0	0	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	5	5	10	10
Sierra Leonean	⁽⁵⁾—	5	5	5	5	10	25	40	45	50
Singaporean	0	0	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
South African	25	45	80	130	225	360	510	625	725	890
Spanish	0	⁽⁵⁾—	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Sri Lankan	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	5	10	10	15	15
St. Helenian	⁽⁵⁾—	10	20	25	20	25	25	20	20	20
Sudanese	0	0	0	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—	0	0	0	0
Swazi	0	0	0	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	10	15
Swedish	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	0	0	0	0
Swiss	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	0	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Tanzanian	0	0	0	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Tongan	0	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	5	5	5	5
Trinidadian	5	10	10	20	30	50	60	70	75	100
Ugandan	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	10	25	35	40	60
Ukrainian	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	⁽⁵⁾—
Vincentian	0	0	0	180	170	285	290	285	280	460
Zambian	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	5	15	15	20	25
Zimbabwean	30	45	55	85	195	395	535	560	570	595
Other West Indian	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	5	0
Other⁽⁶⁾	15	20	20	20	15	20	20	20	20	5
Non UK—Total	4,280	4,360	4,780	5,490	6,465	8,175	9,395	10,015	10,420	11,340
⁽¹⁾ Full Time Personnel comprises UK Regular Forces, Gurkhas and FTRS personnel. It does not include the Home Service Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment or mobilised reservists. ⁽²⁾ Information on FTRS personnel is not included pre 1999 as this scheme was introduced in August 1998 under Section 24 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996. ⁽³⁾ The information in the table above is for Army personnel only in 1998-2005; for Army and RAF personnel in 2006 and for all services in 2007. This is because information on nationality for Navy personnel is only available post Joint Personal Administration implementation (October 2006 for Navy) and information on nationality for RAF personnel pre Joint Personnel Administration (April 2006 for RAF) can be provided only at a disproportionate cost. All 2006 and 2007 information is marked as provisional due to the ongoing validation of Joint Personnel Administration data. ⁽⁴⁾ Nationality figures are based on those with a known Nationality only. ^{(5 )}denotes fewer than 5. ⁽⁶⁾ ‘Other’ denotes a person who is not of British origin but their actual country of origin is not know eg listed on British Commonwealth. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5. Source: DASA (Quad-Service)

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