§ Mr. Win GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers serving in Germany in each of the last four years have been remanded for trial by district court martial; and how long was the period between each incident which led to the trial and the start of the court martial proceedings.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe number of soldiers serving in Germany who were remanded for trial by district court martial in each of the last four years was:
Number 1986 404 1987 387 1988 417 1989 359 Each case varies depending on its complexity, the degree of investigation required, the plea, availability of witness etc; a straightforward case might take three months, a complex case around 18 months. It would not be possible to give the further information requested without disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Win GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers serving in Germany in each of the last four years have been involved in incidents which have been the subject of Royal Military Police investigations; and how long it has taken in each case(a) for an initial report to be made, (b) for initial legal advice to be given, (c) for final legal advice to be received 20W for a commanding officer to decide on disciplinary action and (d) where relevant, for district court martial proceedings to begin.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe number of soldiers serving in Germany who were involved in incidents which were the subject of Royal Military Police investigations was:
1986 1987 1988 1989 12,997 3,175 2,947 4,757 1 Estimate. I am afraid that the detailed information requested could not be produced without disproportionate cost.