Dr. Fox:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) required, (b) actual and (c) fit for task strength is of each battalion of the infantry. [297891]
Bill Rammell:
The figures requested are provided in the following tables.
5 Nov 2009 : Column 1151W
5 Nov 2009 : Column 1152W
Division
Unit
Required strength
Actual strength
Number fit for task
Guards
1 Grenadier Guards
632
586
525
1 Coldstream Guards
626
606
522
1 Scots Guards
753
665
580
1 Irish Guards
633
629
554
1 Welsh Guards
626
608
508
SCOTS
1 SCOTS
630
556
461
2 SCOTS
627
518
455
3 SCOTS
630
625
535
4 SCOTS
686
584
528
5 SCOTS
657
542
492
Queens
1 Princess of Wales Royal Regiment
755
722
655
2 Princess of Wales Royal Regiment
671
600
553
1 Royal Regt Fusiliers
660
573
491
2 Royal Regt Fusiliers
626
548
472
1 Royal Anglian
713
734
673
2 Royal Anglian
629
628
565
Kings
1 LANCS
757
721
635
2 LANCS
612
622
582
1 YORKS incl. Gurkha Reinforcement Company 3
686
605
533
2 YORKS
623
493
393
3 YORKS
751
608
539
Prince of Wales
1 Mercian incl. Gurkha Reinforcement Company 1
731
648
622
2 Mercian
623
614
526
3 Mercian
678
606
540
1 Royal Welsh
623
611
559
2 Royal Welsh
751
687
579
RIFLES
1 RIFLES
623
712
614
2 RIFLES
623
730
611
3 RIFLES
623
662
580
4 RIFLES
711
752
662
5 R1FLES
752
770
679
Royal Irish
1 Royal Irish
650
586
531
PARA
2 PARA
650
624
545
3 PARA
650
625
547
Royal Gurkha Rifles
1 Royal Gurkha Rifles
643
619
594
2 Royal Gurkha Rifles incl. Gurkha Reinforcement Company 2
758
658
620
In addition to the battalions shown above there are three incremental Guards companies which are primarily for public duties but which can also be used to augment the other Guards battalions. This information is provided in the following table.
Unit
Required strength
Actual strength
Number fit for task
Nijmegen Coy Grenadier Guards
108
107
96
7 Coy Coldstream Guards
108
97
92
F Coy Scots Guards
110
106
92
The figures in both tables include personnel filling all roles within each battalion, not just infantrymen.
"Required strength" has been interpreted as the maximum number of posts in a battalion's peace time configuration.
5 Nov 2009 : Column 1153W
"Actual strength" has been interpreted as the number of personnel assigned to a battalion for its planned duties. It will also include augmentees who are temporarily assigned if needed to support the role of the battalion, for operational military tasks and events that cannot be achieved within required strengths. Similarly, the figures exclude those assigned out of the battalion to augment other units.
"Fit for task" has been interpreted as fit to deploy for any form of duty on deployment, including personnel listed as having limited deployability. The difference between the actual strength and number fit for task represents those who are non-deployable because they are non-available for a combat role or non-effective (for example, due to medical reasons).
Army: Marines
Mr. Jenkins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) regiments and (b) battalions there are in the (i) Army and (ii) Royal Marines. [296428]
5 Nov 2009 : Column 1154W
Bill Rammell:
For the British Army, the Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) organisation produce these figures yearly in the UK Defence Statistics Publication-Chapter 4 Formations, Vessels, Aircraft and Vehicles of the Armed Forces, table 4.2, which is available on the DASA website at the following address:
For your convenience, UKDS table 4.2 is shown as follows:
Chapter 4: Formations, Vessels, Aircraft and Vehicles of the Armed Forces
Table 4.2: Number of regiments, infantry battalions and major headquarters, in the Regular and Territorial Army, at 1 April each year
1990
1997
2003
2004
2005
2006( 1)
2007
2008
2009
Combat arms
Armour
Regular Army
Regiments
19
11
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
Territorial Army
Regiments
5
6
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
Infantry
Regular Army
Battalions
55
40
40
40
40
36
36
36
36
Territorial Army
Battalions
41
33
15
15
15
15
14
14
14
Home Service Forces
Battalions
11
7
4
4
4
-
-
-
-
Special Forces
Regular Army(2)
Regiments
1
1
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Territorial Army(2)
Regiments
2
2
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Aviation
Regular Army(3)
Regiments
4
5
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Territorial Army(3)
Regiments
n/a
1
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Combat support
Artillery
Regular Army(4)
Regiments
22
15
15
14
14
14
14
14
14
Territorial Army(5)
Regiments
7
6
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
Engineers
Regular Army
Regiments
13
10
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
Territorial Army
Regiments
8
9
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
Signals
Regular Army
Regiments
13
11
12
11
11
11
12
12
12
Territorial Army
Regiments
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
(6)5
Combat service support
Equipment support
Regular Army
Battalions
n/a
6
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
Territorial Army
Battalions
n/a
5
4
4
4
4
4
(7)2
2
Logistics
Regular Army
Regiments
n/a
24
21
21
22
17
17
17
17
Territorial Army
Regiments
n/a
19
17
17
17
15
17
17
17
Medical Regiments/Field Hospitals(8)
Regular Army
Number
16
12
8
8
8
11
8
8
8
Territorial Army
Number
17
18
15
15
15
13
13
13
13
Corps, Division and Brigade HQ( 9)
NATO Corps HQ
n/a
n/a
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Division/District HQ
Deployable
n/a
n/a
2
2
2
2
2
2
(10)2
5 Nov 2009 : Column 1155W
5 Nov 2009 : Column 1156W
Non-deployable
n/a
n/a
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
Brigade HQ
Deployable
n/a
n/a
9
9
9
8
8
7
7
Non-deployable
n/a
n/a
13
13
13
10
9
9
9
(1) The numbers for 2006 reflect the Army's implementation of the Future Army Structure (FAS), announced on 16 December 2004. (2) From 1 April 2000 these units form part of Direct Special Forces. See Table 4.4. (3) From 1 April 2000 these units form part of the Joint Helicopter Command. See Table 4.4. (4) Excludes 14th Regiment Royal Artillery. (5) Includes the Honourable Artillery Company. (6) As a result of Planning Round 2009, six R Signals Regts (V) were removed from the force structure. (7) Restructuring of royal electrical and mechanical engineers was announced in 2008. (8) Field ambulance structures have been subsumed into the Medical Regiment concept as part of structural changes across the medical services. Field ambulances still exist in the Territorial Army. (9) Does not include temporary structures such as six Division HQ or 11 Light Brigade. (10) There are three divisional HQs this year. Only two are complete divisions; a third, six division HQ, was created for a specific operational task, and will then fold. Source:
MOD Resources and Plans.
