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Medically Downgraded Army Personnel
Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many of the medically downgraded 9,635 Army personnel are unfit for deployment outside the United Kingdom, for deployment on operational duties and for deployment overseas.[HL2600]
Lord Bach: The figure of 9,635 medically downgraded personnel in the Army was as at 1 April 2001. As at 1 January 2002, there were 10,126 medically downgraded personnel. The breakdown of this total is shown below.
| Number of medically downgraded personnel deployable overseas in any part of the world in a line of communication or base role, but not in a fighting role | 7,159 |
| Number of medically downgraded personnel who may be employed outside the UK in Germany, Belgium or (for Gurkas) Nepal | 1,435 |
| Number of medically downgraded personnel unfit for any deployment outside the UK | 1,532 |
Harrier Departmental Fleet
Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the current total number of Fleet Air Arm Harriers and RAF Harriers GR7; and what will be the number in the future after the proposed cuts.[HL3076]
Lord Bach: On 4 March 2002, there were 54 Sea Harriers and 86 RAF Harriers in the Harrier Departmental Fleet. The Harrier Departmental Fleet is the total number of Harrier aircraft owned by the Ministry of Defence and includes aircraft from the operational fleet, sustainment fleet, training fleet and aircraft owned by QinetiQ. Following the withdrawal from service of the Sea Harrier between 2004 and 2006, the Sea Harrier element of the departmental fleet will be nil, and the RAF Harrier element is planned to be 86. Huw
Army: Recruitment
Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What action is being taken by the Ministry of Defence to increase the number of recruits for the Army; and what money is being allocated to units that have set up their own unit recruiting teams.[HL3096]
Lord Bach: Action is being taken in a wide range of areas with the aim of increasing Army recruiting, both for officers and soldiers, co-ordinated by the Army Training and Recruiting Agency's Recruiting Group. This includes television advertising, work experience and "Look at Life" courses, graduate recruitment seminars and undergraduate army placements. In addition, concentrated recruitment drives have been trialled in two specific areas. The first in the London
area last year showed a 24 per cent increase in inquiries and the latest drive in the North East in February showed an increase in inquiries of 31 per cent, although it is too early to assess the effect on actual enlistments. Similar events are planned for Scotland in June this year, a further London campaign in October, and the home counties and South East also in October. Changes to the recruiting process are being implemented in selected areas using more non-uniformed staff to process applications, allowing uniformed personnel to be more mobile and go out to the potential audience rather than expecting them to come to the recruiting offices. Other initiatives include Camouflage Magazine, which is aimed at 13 to 17 year-olds and aims to cultivate and maintain an early interest in the Army; there are currently nearly 90,000 members of whom nearly half are 15 and 16 year-olds. Also, a Commonwealth selection team is being set up with effect from April 2002 to serve the increasing interest from Commonwealth countries.As from 1 April 2002 there will be 93 regimental recruiting teams (RRTs), encompassing existing RRTs and the former mobile display teams. These will be staffed by Field Army personnel, but funding will be from both recruiting group and the Field Army. The level of funding will vary according to the team's size and the recruiting need of their particular capbadge. Funding includes the provision of vehicles and trailers, portable computers, mobile telephones, travel and subsistence costs, with fuel costs and marketing support also provided. Janice
Staff Sergeants and Sergeants: Extension of Service
Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What steps are being taken to enable staff sergeants and sergeants to extend their service voluntarily beyond the 22-year point by placing them on a special list.[HL3097]
Lord Bach: Any soldier who has completed 18 years' service on the open engagement, notice engagement or the 22-year engagement, may apply to be considered for service on the long service list (LSL). At present, there are 577 soldiers serving on the LSL (as at 1 January 2002), of whom approximately 200 are staff sergeants and 37 are sergeants. While no guarantee can be given of employment up to age 55, every effort is made to secure this.
Soldiers can also be granted career continuance for periods of up to five years. Employment may be in their own arm or service, or they may be required to serve in another arm or service on transfer.
In addition to this, the Army is currently conducting a study, known as the non-commissioned engagements and career structures study, into soldier career structures. One strand of this study is to examine the possibility of employing more soldiers, including those at the rank of sergeant and staff sergeant, for longer than 22 years.
Flight RR 500, 18 February
Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why approximately 15 duty personnel were not allowed to fly on flight RR 500 from Stansted to Munster on 18 February, when the flight was carrying only 91 personnel and when the Ministry of Defence had chartered 106 seats.[HL3138]
Lord Bach: Flight RR 500 on 18 February was chartered for 100 seats but 21 out of the pre-booked and waiting list passengers failed to report. All eight stand-by duty passengers who did report were then boarded. Only one non-duty aspiring passenger did not fly, an indulgee wife of a serviceman. The failure to fly was due to a local administrative error and RAF staff have been rebriefed on the procedures to be followed when dealing with indulgence passengers. Lynne
Courts Martial: ECHR Judgment
Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What action they are taking as a result of the recent European Convention on Human Rights ruling on military courts martial.[HL3139]
Lord Bach: The European Court of Human Rights delivered its judgment in the case of Morris v the United Kingdom on 26 February. The Court noted that the changes to the court martial system made by the Armed Forces Act 1996 have gone a long way to meeting the concerns it had expressed previously, in the Findlay case. However, it found that there had been a violation of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which concerns the right to a fair hearing, as regards certain aspects of Mr Morris's trial by court martial in 1997.
The Court was concerned about the potential for undue external influence over certain members of a court martial panel; and about the procedures for involving non-judicial authorities in the review of court martial findings and sentences. We are assessing the implications of the Court's judgment for the future conduct of courts martial and whether any changes that may be necessary require the legislation to be amended. At present, Army and Royal Air Force courts martial scheduled for the near future are being postponed. We regret the inconvenience this is causing to accused and their representatives and to witnesses. The possible resumption of courts martial is being reviewed on a week-by-week basis. For the time being, trials in the Royal Navy are continuing in view of the nature of the regulations in that service concerning the position of court martial members.
We shall make an announcement as soon as our assessment of the implications of the judgment has been completed. However, we do not consider that the judgment fundamentally affects the court martial
system, which we intend to retain as an effective and fair means of administering discipline and justice in our Armed Forces.Single Sky Proposals
Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In view of the recent European Commission ruling on the "Single Sky Policy", what steps are being taken by the Ministry of Defence to allow the United Kingdom to retain control over its own airspace to ensure that the Royal Air Force is able to fly at any time in defence of the United Kingdom.[HL3140]
Lord Bach: The Ministry of Defence is fully engaged in formulating the UK's position on the European Commission's Single Sky proposals. These proposals, which recognise the national security imperative, call for close co-operation between civil and military authorities. The MoD has forged close links with the Civil Aviation Authority and other interested government departments, and these will ensure that we are fully involved in any Single Sky legislation discussions which impinge on issues of national security. Huw
Royal Armoured Corps: Collective Performance Levels
Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the criteria for the collective performance levels 1–5 in regiments of the Royal Amoured Corps.[HL3141]
Lord Bach: Collective performance (CP) levels are generic for Army formations and units, and are not specific to the Royal Armoured Corps (RAC). The definitions of CP levels 1–5 are as follows:
Regiments of the RAC are required to reach up to CP4. They achieve this by gaining proficiency in a number of mission essential tasks (land), depending on their role and designated readiness.
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