120. Mr. Ted GarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is(a) the full complement and (b) the average strength of infantry battalions.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe complement of an infantry battalion varies between about 590 and 680 officers and men according to its specific task at the time. As at 30 November 1989, the average strength across all infantry battalions was just over 580. These figures do not include Gurkha battalions, which have four rifle companies rather than the usual three, or infantry personnel employed in areas outside line battalions.