§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are employed in the(a) Army legal service, (b) Royal Navy legal service and (c) the RAF legal service, broken down by (i) rank and (ii) grade; and at what locations they are based. [102532]
§ Mr. SpellarThe information is as follows:
Naval Service
The Naval Service does not have a dedicated legal service. There are, however, 33 qualified barristers in the Royal Navy, 17 of whom are serving in legal appointments. Details of barristers, ranks and grades in support are:
Naval Service Number (i) Ranks Commodore 1 Commander 6 Barristers Lieutenant Commander 7 Lieutenant 3 Warrant Officer 3 Chief Petty Officer 4 Petty Officer 3 Leading Rate 6 Able Rate 4 (ii) Grades Administrative Officer 4 Civilian typist 1 Overall total staff 42 Locations
Portsmouth, London, Northwood, Yeovilton, Plymouth, Faslane.
359W
Army Number (i) Ranks Major General 1 Brigadier 2 Colonel 4 Lieutenant Colonel 16 Major 19 Captain 40 Warrant Officer 1 x 2 Warrant Officer 2 x 2 Staff Sergeant 1 Sergeant 1 (ii) Grades Executive Officer 1 Administrative Officer 16 Administrative Assistant 5 Typists 17 Personal Secretary 3 Locally employed civilians 12 Overall total 142 Locations
All Divisional Headquarters in the UK and Germany, Permanent Joint Headquarters Northwood, Joint Headquarters Germany, Bielefeld (Germany), RAF Uxbridge (Army Prosecuting Authority), Upavon and London (Directorate of Army Legal Services), Glasgow (Military Secretary), Headquarters British Forces Cyprus, HQ Land, Headquarters Royal Marines Portsmouth, HQ Northern Ireland, SHAPE Belgium, Kosovo, Bosnia and Georgia, and one exchange officer in Australia.
RAF Number (i) Ranks Air Vice Marshal 1 Air Commodore 1 Group Captain 3 Wing Commander 7 Squadron Leader 7 Flight Lieutenant 8 (ii) Grades Retired Officer 1 Executive Officer 1 Administrative Officer 2 Personal Secretary 2 Administrative Assistant 1 Typist 1 Locally Employed Civilians 7 Overall total 43 Locations
Innsworth, High Wycombe, Northern Ireland, Cyprus and Germany.
§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) service personnel and (b) civilian dependants have sought and received advice from the legal branches of each armed service; and how many of those received advice (i) by telephone, (ii) by letter, (iii) by clients visiting legal branch offices and (iv) by legal specialists visiting clients (1) at UK locations and (2) overseas locations, specifying the locations in each case. [102526]
§ Mr. SpellarTo establish which of this information is held by the three services could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.