§ Mr. Ashley (Stoke on Trent South)To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many courts martial took place during 1988; in how many cases there was an acquittal; and in how many of these the member of the forces was told that there was no case to answer.
§ Mr. NeubertThere were 976 courts martial held in 1988, of which 101 resulted in a acquittal. As it can take up to 12 weeks to confirm sentence, those figures may not represent the final total for the year. It is not possible to provide the additional information requested by the right hon. Member without disproportionate cost.