HC Deb 01 March 1989 vol 148 cc220-1W
Mr. Nelson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of Royal Military policemen who have passed out from the RMP training barracks in Chichester in each of the last 10 years.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The numbers of RMP men and women who have passed out from the RMP training course at Chichester, having completed their basic provost course, are as follows:

Men Women
1979 179 65
1980 291 45
1981 210 32
1982 160 37
1983 182 52
1984 245 41
1985 294 26
1986 302 37
1987 172 52
1988 157 58

Mr. Nelson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the principal operational responsibilities of the Royal military police; and what is the total number of military policemen currently in service.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The principal operational responsibilities of the Royal military police in peace, on transition to war and in war are to:

  1. a. enforce the law with the military community and assist with the maintenance of military discipline;
  2. b. assist and support the Services and other law enforcement agencies;
  3. c. provide an assistance, advice and information service to the military community and the public;
  4. d. provide a crime prevention service to the military community;
  5. e. provide a close protection service;
  6. f. provide operational Provost Support.

The total number of regular military police currently in service is 2,411 which may be broken down as follows:

Male Female
Officers 149 6
Other Ranks 1,977 279
Total 2,126 285

Mr. Nelson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria he uses to assess the quality of training and defence contribution of the Royal military police; and if these are currently being met.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The role of the Royal military police is to provide the provost support required by the Army, meeting legal obligations and operational requirements at least cost. RMP training is framed against these criteria and its effectiveness is judged by theatre commanders throughout the Army. The training programme itself is reviewed continuously in the light, inter alia, of feedback from theatre commanders and to reflect changes in policy and law as they arise.

Mr. McFall

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence proposals he has to replace military police personnel with private security guards at any Ministry of Defence establishments in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The use of private security firms in guarding establishments is an option open to the Ministry of Defence in cases where their use can satisfy certain security criteria.

We have no proposals at present to replace military police personnel in this way. However, such an arrangement might be considered at an establishment following a change in the use of the premises and a reappraisal of the security circumstances.