§ Lord WIGGasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many applications for release have been received and are currently under consideration or have been approved, from Officers, Warrant Officers, NCOs and men and women of the Armed Services, giving separate figures for each category, for each of the Services.
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMThe numbers of trained male officers who applied to leave the Services prematurely during 1977–78 were as follows:
(The number who have still to leave is shown in brackets).
There is a large number of different types of engagement for non-commissioned personnel and the three Services handle applications for premature release differently.
RN/RM Army RAF 338 (284) 908 (448) 778 (415) In the Royal Navy, for example, though not in the Royal Marines, premature voluntary release (PVR), as such, does not exist. All ratings with less than nine years' service either serve on, or may transfer to, notice engagements, which enable them to leave after a minimum of three years' productive service, subject to giving 18 months' notice. In the Army, the majority of soldiers enlist on 22-year notice engagements and commit themselves to three, six or nine years' service, at the end of which they too may leave on giving 18 months' notice but they may also apply to purchase their premature release at any 1372WA time after the first three years. Subject to manning and other considerations, the majority of PVR applicants are permitted to leave within a few weeks. Airmen initially enter the Royal Air Force on fixed term engagements of six, nine or 12 years or, in some cases, on nine year notice engagements but applications for PVR may be considered at any time after three years' service. Non-commissioned personnel in all three Services who have served for more than nine years enjoy the right to leave on giving 18 months' notice.
It is not therefore possible to give comparable figures for applications for premature release but the numbers of men and women who actually left prematurely during the period were as follows:
RN/RM Army RAF Men Women Men Women Men Women 1,719 202 5,125 73 1,996 200 It is not practicable to provide a more detailed breakdown of the figures in respect of Warrant Officers, NCOs and other ranks.