HC Deb 27 May 2004 vol 421 cc1840-1W
Miss McIntosh

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strength of the Defence Medical Services was in(a) 1997, (b) 2000 and (c) 2003, broken down by (i) service, (ii) rank, (iii) specialisation and (iv) establishment. [169995]

Mr. Caplin

The strength of the Defence Medical Services by Service and specialism for each of the three years is broken down as follows. Figures for the Royal Navy and the RAF were provided by the respective Medical Director's General, and the information for the Army was provided by DASA (Army).

Royal Navy
October
Category 1997 2000 2003
Medical Officers 247 205 230
Nurses: — — —
Officer 48 67 87
Other Ranks 196 197 301
Medical Support Officers 51 53 48
Medical Technicians (including ODPs):
Officers 0 1 8
Other Ranks 96 97 80
Medical 607 678 594
Assistants/Combat Medical Technicians

(other ranks)

 — — —
Dental Officers 67 55 68
Dental Support Services:
Officers 0 0 0
Other Ranks 104 102 114
Total 1416 1455 1530

Army
October
Category 1997 2000 2003
Other Officers (including Medical Officers

and Medical Support Officers) (See note)

 600 600 730
Nurses:
Officer 250 280 290
Other Ranks 420 440 600
Medical Technicians (including ODPs) 280 260 260
Combat Medical Technicians (other ranks) 1430 1460 1630
Dental Officers 150 150 160
Dental Support Services (Officers and

other ranks)

 210 230 260
Total 3340 3420 3930

Royal Air Force
October
Category 1997 2000 2003
Medical Officers 239 187 185
Nurses:
Officer 102 112 118
Other Ranks 192 215 346
Medical Support Officers 31 45 76
Medical Technicians (including ODPs):
Officers 22 15 13
Other Ranks 125 107 127
Medical Assistants/Combat Medical

Technicians (other ranks)

 521 600 768
Dental Officers 87 72 74

Royal Air Force
October
Category 1997 2000 2003
Dental Support Services:
Officers 0 0 3
Other Ranks 218 209 210
Total 1537 1562 1920
Notes:
1. Figures shown are broken down between officers and other

ranks.
2. Historical data on the location of personnel is not held

centrally, and would be available only at disproportionate cost.
3. The Army manpower data is rounded to the nearest 10.

Available figures for 1997 are not broken down between Medical

Officers and Medical Support Officers.
4. All figures include both trained and untrained personnel.