§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the delay experienced by members of the home battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment in receiving their annual bounty; and when the annual bounty will be paid. [116964]
§ Mr. CaplinSome part-time members of the Royal Irish Regiment have experienced a delay in receiving their annual bounty for the training year 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003. In some instances this was due to a computer programming error that has now been rectified.
Out of a total strength of some 1,300 part-time personnel, only a handful of bounties remain unpaid. For those that remain outstanding, payment has, in some instances, been delayed due to the soldiers training year being extended, or as a consequence of processing delays due to soldiers leaving the Regiment.