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20 Apr 2009 : Column 49W—continued
Armed Forces: Career Development
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what opportunities exist for non-commissioned personnel to become commissioned officers in the armed forces. [267688]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: There are many opportunities for non-commissioned personnel to become commissioned officers in the armed forces and I have provided this information for each service as follows:
The Royal Navy runs several schemes to provide opportunities for the promotion of RN and RM Other Ranks to commissioned ranks. These personnel compete along side non-service candidates and must pass selection by the Admiralty Interview Board. The schemes are: Upper Yardmen and Royal Marine Corps Commissions to provide opportunities for promotion to commissioned ranks open to those aged under 26; and RN Senior Upper Yardman and RM Senior Corps Commission open to those over the age of 26.
The Army commissions soldiers from the ranks, selecting those judged to have sufficient leadership potential, to attend the standard commissioning course. Both direct entry (DE) and soldier commission candidates are assessed and then selected at the Army Officer Selection Board, Westbury thereby assuring a level method of selection and quality.
For those who are not selected for a direct entry commission from the ranks, then after nine years service (from age 21), and having attained the rank of sergeant, all soldiers are eligible to apply for a late entry (LE) commission up to 44 years of age (waivers can be applied for older applicants).
Direct Entry/Late Entry Balanc e
Over the last decade, the Army has adjusted its balance from 25 per cent. LE/75 per cent. DE to 33 per cent. LE/67 per cent. DE as greater demand for LE officers has emerged. LE officers do have differing terms of service from DE officers, principally to accelerate their promotion given their average commissioning age of 40. They are widely employed and compete up to the rank of Lt Col with DE officers for appointments.
Internal Commissioning Scheme (ICS)
Serving personnel in the rank of senior aircraftsman(1) and above are eligible to apply for the ICS. Leading aircraftsmen and below who wish to be considered for commissioning must meet the appropriate eligibility criteria for direct entrants including the required qualifications (for example, non-commissioned aircrew must have completed a three-year tour of duty at the time of entry into the initial officer training centre).
Commissioned Warrant Officer (CWO)
Warrant officers and master air crew commissioned under the CWO Scheme do not attend full officer training and are appointed in the rank of flight lieutenant with no additional seniority. All other serving personnel are appointed in the rank of flying officer with additional seniority determined by the substantive rank held, including normal paid acting rank, on commissioning.
(1) This rank includes women.
Armed Forces: Deployment
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British military personnel are deployed in (a) Tajikistan, (b) Uzbekistan, (c) the Kyrgyz Republic and (d) Turkmenistan. [268695]
Mr. Hutton: There are no British military personnel deployed in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, the republic of Kyrgyz or Turkmenistan.
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many conventional British military personnel are working in Frontier Corps training schools in Pakistan; and at which schools. [268738]
Mr. Hutton: We are working in partnership with the Pakistani Frontier Corps and Americans under the Security Development Plan to help Pakistan address the security challenges of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. I am withholding further information for security reasons.
However, I can confirm that there are currently 24 UK military personnel based in Pakistan undertaking a variety of roles, including training, liaison and diplomatic duties.
The number of military personnel based in Pakistan varies from time to time. This can be for a variety of reasons, including revised tasking and changes to previous roles.
Armed Forces: Housing
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2009, Official Report, columns 563-64W, on armed forces: housing, how many service family accommodation units are maintained by Modern Housing Solutions in each (a) region and (b) area. [269027]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Modern Housing Solutions (MHS) as at 31 March 2009 were responsible for the repair and maintenance of service family accommodation (SFA) properties in the following locations.
| MHS Region | Area | Number of SFA |
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent by his Department on upgrading housing for armed forces personnel in each year since 2002. [269661]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The following was spent upgrading service family accommodation in Great Britain in each financial year since 2001-02.
| Financial year | £ million |
Although the final expenditure for 2008-09 is yet to be confirmed, it is planned to be some £35 million.
Armed Forces: Mass Media
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what rules govern serving members of the armed forces talking to the media. [269712]
Mr. Hutton: We want our people, military and civilian, to talk and write about what they do so that the roles and achievements of the armed forces and MOD can be better understood. However, in order to ensure that national and operational security is upheld, and that standards of political impartiality and public accountability are met, serving members of the armed forces must seek prior authorisation before talking to the media.
The guidance is set out in a Defence Instruction and Notice (DIN) which is available on the MOD internet site. It is also reflected in the relevant Queen’s regulations.
Armed Forces: Mentally Ill
Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his latest estimate is of the incidence of mental illness among serving soldiers in each age group. [269657]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Since July 2007 the Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) organisation has reported on the psychiatric morbidity of the UK armed forces. The annual summary report for 2007 has recently been published, and this includes the breakdown of new attendances in 2007 including both in and out-patient mental health facilities by age group. This information is provided in the table.
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