§ Mr. Paul KeetchTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many documents personnel from(a) the Army, (b) the Naval Service and (c) the Royal Air Force would normally be asked to sign (i) during the first year of service, (ii) during each subsequent year and (iii) before being sent on a deployment; and what the figures were in each of the past 15 years. [82127]
Mr. IngrainThe information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Such information as is available shows for example that some 1.35 million applications for leave were made by Service Personnel during 2000–01 and that some 102,000 Personnel were posted to new appointments which were acknowledged by written signature. Work is underway within the Ministry of Defence to examine the scope for streamlining such administrative procedures.