§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the numbers of young soldiers who have left the Army before completion of their training in each of the last five years; and what are the comparable figures for the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.
§ Mr. FreemanDetails of the numbers leaving the Army before completion of their training are not available. The table shows, however, for each service, outflow of male service men recruits within the first six months of their service, which is the period during which they may claim their discharge as a right. The table shows, for those who entered the services during each financial year from 1981–82 to 1985–86 and were aged 16 or 17 on entry, all exits during the first six months. Both the numbers leaving and the percentage they represent of the numbers entering at each age are shown.