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20 Apr 2009 : Column 56W—continued

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) required and (b) actual strength of each Volunteer Reserve service is. [269189]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The establishment and strength of the Reserve Forces, as at 28 February 2009, is provided in the following table.

	RMR	RNR	TA( 1) (Group A only)	RAuxAF
Establishment	970	2,286	38,500	2,002
Strength	868	2,020	28,920	1,418
(1) TA Establishment figure excludes all 3,500 UOTC. TA Strength figure excludes TA Group B, UOTC, FTRS, Sponsored Reserves and NRPS.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what joint UK/EU development funding has been made available to armoured vehicle manufacturers in each year since 2004; in respect of which vehicles such development funding has been provided; and what plans he has for further such funding in the next 10 years. [269814]

Mr. Quentin Davies: There has been no joint UK/EU development funding available to military armoured vehicle manufactures and there are no current plans for such funding.

Army: Deployment

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average tour interval of each infantry battalion in the Army was in the latest period for which figures are available. [269190]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The average tour interval for the infantry as a whole is 26 months. The current tour intervals for individual infantry battalions are provided in the following table:

20 Apr 2009 : Column 57W

20 Apr 2009 : Column 58W

Unit deployed	Last operational deployment (as a unit)	Start date	Previous operational deployment (as a unit)	End date	Last unit tour interval (months)
1 Grenadier Guards	Afghanistan	May 2007	Iraq	September 2006	8
1 Coldstream Guards	Afghanistan	October 2007	Iraq	October 2005	23
1 Scots Guards	Iraq	December 2007	Iraq	April 2005	31
1 Irish Guards	Iraq	June 2007	Northern Ireland	March 2004	38
1 Welsh Guards	Afghanistan	April 2009	Balkans	April 2007	24
1 Scots(1)	Iraq	December 2007	Iraq	May 2006	17
2 Scots	Afghanistan	April 2008	Iraq	December 2005	28
3 Scots	Afghanistan	April 2009	Iraq	January 2005	51
4 Scots	Iraq	June 2008	Iraq	May 2006	25
5 Scots	Afghanistan	April 2008	Balkans	October 2005	29
1 PWRR	Iraq	December 2008	Iraq	December 2006	24
2 PWRR	Iraq	January 2005	Northern Ireland	December 2003	12
1 RRF	Iraq	June 2008	Iraq	May 2006	25
2 RRF	Afghanistan	April 2009	Northern Ireland	November 2003	64
1 R Anglian	Afghanistan	May 2007	Iraq	October 2005	18
2 R Anglian	Iraq	June 2008	Iraq	October 2006	20
1 Lancs(2)	Iraq	December 2007	n/a	—	—
2 Lancs(2)	Iraq	November 2006	n/a	—	—
1 Yorks	Iraq	December 2008	Iraq	May 2007	18
2 Yorks	Afghanistan	October 2007	Balkans	September 2006	13
3 Yorks	Iraq	November 2004	Balkans	June 2001	40
1 R Welsh	Cyprus	May 2007	Northern Ireland	January 2006	15
2 R Welsh	Iraq	June 2007	Iraq	October 2005	19
1 Mercian	Iraq	December 2007	Iraq	October 2004	37
2 Mercian	Afghanistan	April 2009	Afghanistan	November 2007	16
3 Mercian	Iraq	November 2006	Iraq	October 2005	12
1 Rifles(3)	Afghanistan	October 2008	Iraq	November 2006	23
2 Rifles	Afghanistan	April 2009	Iraq	May 2007	23
3 Rifles	Iraq	September 2006	Northern Ireland	March 2005	17
4 Rifles	Iraq	June 2007	Balkans	October 2001	67
5 Rifles	Iraq	December 2008	Iraq	December 2006	24
1 Royal Irish	Afghanistan	April 2008	Iraq	December 2005	28
2 Para	Afghanistan	April 2008	Iraq	April 2006	24
3 Para	Afghanistan	April 2008	Afghanistan	October 2006	18
1 RGR	Afghanistan	October 2007	Balkans	March 2006	18
2 RGR	Afghanistan	October 2008	Afghanistan	October 2005	37
Notes: (1 )1 RS and 1 KOSB amalgamated in August 2006 to form 1 Scots. (2 )1 KORBR, 1 Kings and QLR amalgamated in July 2006 to form 1 Lancs and 2 Lancs. Because of the nature of this amalgamation it is not representative to carry forward the unit deployments of 1 KORBR, 1 Kings and QLR to 1 Lancs and 2 Lancs. (3) 1 RGBW and 1 DDLI amalgamated in March 2007 to form 1 Rifles.

AWE Management

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) public-private partnership and (b) private finance initiative arrangements may be put in place under the AWE Aldermaston management contract. [269710]

Mr. Quentin Davies: There are no plans to put in place public-private partnership or private finance initiative arrangements under the Ministry of Defence's contract for the management and operation of the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

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