HL Deb 29 July 1999 vol 604 cc212-5WA
Baroness Williams of Crosby

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many members of (a) the Royal Navy, (b) the Royal Air Force and (c) the Army were (i) 16 years of age and (ii) 17 years of age on 1 July; which units they are serving with; and what percentage of force numbers this represent in each service. [HL3761]

The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Gilbert)

At 1 June 1999, the latest date for which information is available centrally on all three services: 151 naval service personnel, Royal Navy and Royal Marines, were 16 years of age and 841 were 17 years of age, 0.3 per cent. and 1.9 per cent. of the total strength respectively; 959 Army personnel were 16 years of age and 4,032 were 17 years of age, 0.9 per cent. and 3.7 per cent. of the total strength respectively; 45 RAF personnel were 16 years of age and 393 were 17 years of age, 0.1 per cent. and 0.7 per cent. of the total strength respectively.

The list of units they are serving with is provided in the tables below.

Naval service personnel aged under 18 as at 1 June 1999 by unit
Unit Age 16 Age 17 All under 18
Royal Naval Ratings
HMS Argyll 0 2 2
HMS Birmingham 0 3 3
HMS Boxer 0 3 3
HMS Bristol 1 0 1
HMS Campbeltown 0 1 1
HMS Cardiff 0 2 2
HMS Chatham 1 2 3
HMS Cornwall 0 6 6
HMS Coventry 0 1 1
HMS Cumberland 0 3 3
HMS Dulverton 0 1 1
HMS Edinburgh 0 4 4
HMS Exeter 0 4 4
HMS Fearless 0 5 5
HMS Glasgow 0 4 4
HMS Gloucester 0 6 6
HMS Grafton 0 3 3
HMS Herald 0 1 1
HMS Illustrious 0 20 20
HMS Invincible 0 10 10
HMS Iron Duke 0 6 6
HMS Liverpool 0 5 5
HMS London 0 1 1
HMS Manchester 0 4 4
HMS Marlborough 0 1 1
HMS Monmouth 0 1 1
HMS Montrose 0 3 3
HMS Newcastle 0 4 4
HMS Norfolk 0 1 1
HMS Northumberland 0 4 4
HMS Nottingham 0 1 1
HMS Ocean 0 4 4
HMS Richmond 0 1 1
HMS Sandown 0 1 1
HMS Sheffield 0 3 3
HMS Shetland 0 1 1
HMS Somerset 0 3 3
HMS Southampton 0 1 1
HMS Sutherland 0 2 2
HMS Talent 0 1 1
HMS Trafalgar 0 1 1
HMS Trenchant 0 1 1
HMS Turbulent 0 1 1
HMS Vengeance 0 1 1
HMS Westminster 0 1 1
HMS York 0 8 8
810 Squadron 0 2 2
Margin1 7 46 53
Other2 9 30 39
Untrained strength 105 482 587
Total RN Ratings 123 702 825
Naval service personnel aged under 18 as at 1 June 1999 by unit
Unit Age 16 Age 17 All under 18
Royal Marine Other Ranks
40 Commando 0 4 4
45 Commando 0 5 5
Margin1 0 1 1
Other2 1 14 15
Untrained strength 27 115 142
Total RM Other Ranks 28 139 167
Total Naval Service 151 841 992
Notes:
1 Includes, for example. those sick or injured.
2 Includes those serving in UK shore establishments and those undergoing further training courses.
3 There were no officers, either trained or untrained in the naval service at 1 June 1999 aged under 18.

Total number of soldiers aged 16 and 17 by regiment as at

1 June 1999
Regiment Age 16 Age 17 All under 18
H Cav 5 46 51
Rac (Unspec) 49 196 245
9/12 L 1 0 1
QDG 0 4 4
Scots DG 0 6 6
RDG 0 9 9
QRH 0 2 2
KRH 1 6 7
LD 0 12 12
QRL 0 3 3
RTR 0 9 9
1 RHA 0 4 4
7 PARA RHA 0 5 5
4 Regt RA 0 11 1
5 Regt RA 0 1 1
12 Regt RA 0 3 3
16 Regt RA 0 5 5
19 Regt RA 0 3 3
22 Regt RA 0 4 4
26 FD Regt 0 6 6
29 CDO Regt RA 0 8 8
32 Regt RA 0 5 5
39 Regt RA 0 1 1
40 Regt RA 0 7 7
47 Regt RA 0 3 3
Other RA Units 104 317 421
RE 70 270 340
R Signals 74 455 529
Guards (Unspec) 54 90 144
Gren Gds 0 27 27
Coldm Gds 0 39 39
Scots Gds 28 40 68
Irish Gds 0 8 3
Welsh Gds 1 19 20
Scots (Unspec) 112 76 188
RS 3 14 17
RHF 6 26 32
KOSB 5 33 38
BW 7 22 29
HLDRS 6 25 31
A & SH 2 29 31
Queens (Unspec) 49 131 180
PWRR 1 19 20
RRF 0 26 26
R Ang 0 15 15
Kings (Unspec) 41 153 194
Kings Own Border 2 7 9
Kings 0 14 14
Total number of soldiers aged 16 and 17 by regiment as at

1 June 1999
Regiment Age 16 Age 17 All under 18
PWO 0 7 7
Green Howards 0 6 6
R Irish (GS) 4 39 43
QLR 0 17 17
DWR 0 17 17
Pow (Unspec) 45 179 224
D and D 0 7 7
Cheshire 0 25 25
RWF 0 8 8
RRW 3 10 13
RGBW 0 10 10
WFR 0 10 10
Staffords 0 20 20
Light (Unspec) 39 146 185
LI 0 9 9
RGJ 0 17 17
PARA 40 155 195
AAC 0 24 24
RLC (EXE) 101 645 746
RAMC 11 61 72
REME 88 312 400
RAVC 1 2 3
RADC 1 1 2
Int Corps 0 2 2
QARANC 0 9 9
CAM 2 13 15
AG Corps (SPS) 3 57 60
AG Corps (PRO) 0 9 9
Total 959 4,032 4,991

RAF strength under 18s by unit location at 1 June 1999
Location Age 16 Age 17 All under 18
Aldergrove 0 1 1
Aldershot (Keogh Barracks) 1 8 9
Benson 1 5 6
Boulmer 0 3 3
Brize Norton 0 11 11
Coltishall 0 5 5
Coningsby 0 4 4
Cosford 18 123 141
Cottesmore 0 2 2
Digby 1 3 4
Halton 19 119 138
Headley Court 0 1 1
Henlow 0 1 1
High Wycombe 0 1 1
Honington 0 32 32
Innsworth 0 2 2
Kinloss 1 8 9
Leeming 1 3 4
Leuchars 0 2 2
Linton-on-Ouse 1 1 2
Lossiemouth 0 7 7
Lyneham 0 8 8
Manston 0 1 1
Marham 0 4 4
Neatishead 0 2 2
Northolt 0 1 1
Northwood 0 1 1
Odiham 0 4 4
Rudloe Manor 0 3 3
Shawbury 1 3 4
St. Athan 1 14 15
St. Mawgan 0 3 3
Staxton Wold 0 1 1
Uxbridge 0 1 1
Waddington 0 2 2
Wittering 0 3 3
45 393 438