HC Deb 18 July 1997 vol 298 c353W
Sir Teddy Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the present manpower strength of Her Majesty's(a) Royal Air Force, (b) Navy and (c) Army; and what percentage of full manning these figures represent. [9202]

Dr. Reid

The trained strengths of the regular Armed Forces as at 1 June 1997, the latest figures available, were as follows;

Number
(a) Royal Air Force 53,769
(b) Naval Service (RN and RM)1 41,368
(c) Army12 101,372
1 Excludes Locally Entered Personnel.
2 Includes trained Gurkha strength but excludes Royal Irish Regiment (Home Service).

These figures represent (a) 95 per cent.; (b) 97 per cent.; and (c) 95 per cent. of the trained requirement.