§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make it his policy to review the arrangements for financial assistance for serving officers who are required to change uniforms as a result of the implementation of the "Options for Change" proposals;
(2) what contribution will be made to officers of each rank who are required to change regiments as a result of the imlementation of the "Options for Change" proposals in order to enable them to meet the cost of the new uniforms which they will require.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe levels of uniform grants payable on the amalgamation of regiments are currently under consideration. In general officers are expected to meet the costs of maintaining and replacing their uniforms, but those involved in amalgamations will receive a grant to assist with the cost of essential changes in uniform when such new items are not usually provided as a free issue. It is our intention to keep changes in uniform to the minimum, and where possible to allow officers to wear out their existing uniforms.
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to review the redundancy arrangements for all serving personnel who are made redundant as a result of the implementation of the "Options for Change" proposals.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonNo, although we are reviewing arrangements for housing and resettlement.
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many junior non-commissioned officers and other ranks with under 12 years' service he expects to be made redundant as a result of the implementation of the "Options for Change" proposals;
(2) if he will give a breakdown by length of service of the average amount of redundancy payment which will be made to junior non-commissioned officers and other ranks made redundant as a result of the implementation of the "Options for Change" proposals before the completion of 12 years' service.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonWe do not expect that anyone who has served in the Army for less than 12 years will be made redundant in 1992–93.
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultation he undertook prior to the setting of the limits upon financial assistance which may be made available to serving officers who are required to change uniforms as a result of the implementation of the "Options for Change" proposals.
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§ Mr. Archie HamiltonNo limits have yet been set on the financial assistance which may be made available to officers required to change uniforms as a result of the implementation of "Options for Change". The new uniforms have yet to be agreed, but once this has been done appropriate allowances will be calculated.
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has about the current average cost of the uniforms of officers of each rank in each of the regiments which will exist after the implementation of the "Options for Change" proposals.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe uniforms of many of the regiments which will exist after the implementation of "Options for Change" have yet to be determined. As a guide, however, current allowances payable to newly commissioned officers to meet the costs of those uniform items which they are required to purchase from military tailors are set out in the table. These allowances are based on average prices charged by military tailors and their current levels reflect prices notified to the Ministry of Defence in January 1991.
Officers initial outfit allowance £ Male officers Dismounted officers and career officers except as below 1,716 Officers of the Household Cavalry dismounted order 2,617 Officers of the Foot Guards 2,558 Officers of Lowland Regiments 1,901 Officers of Highland Regiments 2,174 Officers of The Royal Tank Regiment, Royal Irish Rangers, Parachute Regiment, Army Air Corps, SAS and Intelligence Corps 1,679 Officers of the Royal Army Chaplains Department (includes rate for special scarf) 1,829 Female officers Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps (Nursing Officers) 1,628 Non-nursing Officers 1,416 Officers of The Women's Royal Army Corps 1,259 Female direct entry to the Royal Army Medical Corps and Royal Army Dental Corps 2,075 Army Legal Corps 2,453 Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1,985 Notes:
1. These figures do not include officers on probation or Royal Army Medical Corps, Royal Army Dental Corps and Royal Army Veterinary Corps Cadets.
2. Some officers receive an extra £99 for a non-standard pattern Sam Browne/Cross Belt.
3. Officers of the Household Cavalry and King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery on full Mounted Duty receive a further grant of £2,020 on first posting to that duty.
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received concerning the redundancy provisions for junior noncommissioned officers and other ranks made redundant as a result of the implementation of the "Options for Change" proposals.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonWe have received a number of representations about our general plans for redundancies.
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving officers of each rank will change regiment as a result of the implementation of the "Options for Change" proposals.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonIt will be some time before this information is available.