§ Mr. Jim MurphyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers are currently based in Scotland; and what was the(a) lowest and (b) highest level in the past five years. [53279]
§ Mr. Doug HendersonOn 1 June 1998, the total number of regular Army officers and soldiers, including trainees, assigned to units based in Scotland was 3,433.
Comparable strength figures for the last five years are available only in respect of 1 July, and are given in the table:
455W
Year Strength 1 July 1997 2,953 1 July 1996 3,453 1 July 1995 2,587 1 July 1994 3,444 1 July 1993 3,163 The continual movement of Army units and personnel means that the total Army presence in Scotland fluctuates throughout each year. I regret, therefore, that a more detailed breakdown of figures could be provided only at disproportionate cost and effort.