HL Deb 10 December 1992 vol 541 c14WA
Lord Brabazon of Tara

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the current position on redundancies in the Armed Forces.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Viscount Cranborne)

In the second phase of the Royal Navy's redundancy programme, 436 officers and 836 ratings have been selected for redundancy. The vast majority are volunteers, although, regrettably, it has been necessary to select 69 officers and 80 ratings who did not put their names forward. All individuals have been notified and will leave between 1st April and 30th November 1993. The need for a third phase is under careful consideration.

For the Army, 1,311 officers and 5,150 soldiers will be selected for redundancy in 1993–94. I am pleased to say that all the 5,150 soldiers to be selected have volunteered for redundancy. Almost 60 per cent. of the officers will also be volunteers; but it will, unfortunately, be necessary to select 623 officers for compulsory redundancy. All those declared redundant will be notified on 25th February 1993. The size of the third phase for 1994–95 will be considered in due course.

The first tranche of the RAF redundancy scheme was over-subscribed by applicants and no compulsory redundancies are necessary to meet the full target of 750 places in 1993–94. In addition, some 210 individuals who also volunteered for redundancy have indicated their willingness to leave before 31st March 1993. The size of the second tranche of the scheme in 1994–95 will be reviewed next year in the light of the latest manpower forecasts.