HC Deb 14 March 1996 vol 273 cc677-8W
Dr. David Clark

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the(a) trained and (b) untrained strength of (i) the Army, (ii) the RAF and (iii) the Royal Navy at (1) 1 April 1996 and (2) 1 April 1997 under his Department's current plans. [20751]

Mr. Soames

The forecast trained and untrained strengths for the services at the specified dates are as follows:

Army
Trained Untrained
1 April 1996 104,000 8,000
1 April 1997 101,000 10,000

These figures include forecast Gurkha strengths, but exclude the Royal Irish Regiment (Home Service Force).

Royal Air Force
Trained Untrained
1 April 1996 62,700 2,250
1 April 1997 54,700 2,700
Royal Navy
Trained Untrained
1 April 1996 45,000 3,000
1 April 1997 42,000 4,000

These figures include the Royal Marines and Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service.

Dr. Clark

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current shortfall in manpower for the Army; what action he has taken to reduce this shortfall; and if he will make a statement. [20752]

Mr. Soames

The trained strength of the Army is expected to be below its establishment by around 3,000 personnel as at 1 April 1996. The shortfall is primarily due to poor recruitment and retention.

A number of measures have been introduced to make good the shortfall. These include the payment of a retention bonus to soldiers in those arms with the greatest deficits who choose to serve beyond the minimum three-year commitment. A bounty has also been offered to suitable ex-Royal Artillery, Royal Armoured Corps and Infantry soldiers who left in the last three years and who are below the age of 30 who accepted an invitation to re-enlist. A further bounty has been offered to soldiers who persuade friends to enlist, and we have substantially increased the recruiting and advertising budget. A revised programme for the closure of Army careers offices has been agreed, coupled with an initiative, launched in January, to recruit through the Employment Service network. In addition, some 400 Gurkhas who would otherwise have been made redundant will be retained for three years from 1977.

Next month we are holding a conference on "Armed Forces recruiting in the 21st Century", to which members of the careers service and the Employment Service throughout the UK have been invited, with the aim of developing ways of working together to attract the young people the armed forces need.