§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the numbers of applications for early release from the Royal Navy for each month in the last two years.
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§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe numbers of applications for early release from the Royal Navy by month over the last 24 months have been as follows:
Royal Navy applications Officers Ratings April 1988 15 188 May 1988 29 217 June 1988 24 271 July 1988 36 204 August 1988 12 97 September 1988 29 303 October 1988 24 277 November 1988 16 367 December 1988 11 301 January 1989 27 165 February 1989 45 281 March 1989 28 218 FY 1988–89 Total 296 2,889 April 1989 21 452 May 1989 21 265 June 1989 14 294 July 1989 18 305 August 1989 15 143 September 1989 21 346 October 1989 23 195 November 1989 13 209 December 1989 18 481 January 1990 23 233 February 1990 24 310 March 1990 36 468 FY 1989–90 Total 247 3,701 Applications to leave are not the same as actual departures because there is a fairly lengthy period of notice during which people may change their minds and withdraw their applications.