§ Mr. MerchantTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement about redundancies in the Army.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonA total of 3,338 Army personnel, comprising 838 officers and 2,500 soldiers, were selected in February 1992 for the first phase of redundancy. Of the total, all but 143 officers were volunteers.
As foreshadowed in my answer to the hon. Member for Clackmannan (Mr. O'Neil) on 8 November 1991, Official Report, column 296, we shall shortly be promulgating details of the next phase of redundancy in the Army. This will follow the pattern of the first phase with the timetable and plans to be published at the end of July, and individuals informed during the first quarter of 1993. It is likely that the number of personnel to be made redundant in the second phase in 1993–94 will be in the region 6,500. Individuals will receive up to 12 months' notice and full resettlement assistance.