HC Deb 27 March 1998 vol 309 cc314-5W
Mr. Brazier

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the latest manning figures for the infantry, listed by regiment and regional divisions. [36636]

Dr. Reid

The total trained officer and soldier Infantry strengths, broken down by regional Divisions, as at 1 February 1998, is detailed in the table:

Strength
Regional Division
Household 3,522
Scottish 3,674
Queens 3,953
Kings 4,047
Prince of Wales 4,681
Light 2,676
Parachute 1,999
Royal Irish 691
Brigade of Gurkhas 2,510
Total 27,753

The soldier strengths broken down by Divisions and down to Infantry unit levels are detailed in the following table. The figures show only those soldiers serving at Regimental Duty with their Battalions.

Strength
Household Division
1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards 427
N Company, Grenadier Guards 99
1 st Battalion, Coldstream Guards 570
7 Company, Coldstream Guards 104
1st Battalion Scots Guards 427
F Company, Scots Guards 90
1st Battalion, Irish Guards 471
1st Battalion, Welsh Guards 500
Total 2,688
Scottish Division
1st Battalion, Royal Scots 1429
1st Battalion, Royal Highland Fusiliers 524
1st Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers 486
1st Battalion, Black Watch 465
1st Battalion, Highlanders 490
1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 516
Total 2,910
Queens Division
1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal
Regiment 1408
2nd Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal
Regiment 494
1st Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers 535
2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers 600
1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian 485
2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian 577
Total 3,099

Strength
Kings Division
1st Battalion, The King's Own Royal Border Regiment 578
1st Battalion, The King's Regiment 498
1st Battalion, The Prince of Wale's Own Regiment 504
1 st Battalion, The Green Howards 574
1st Battalion, The Queen's Lancashire Regiment 506
1st Battalion, The Duke of Wellington's Regiment 524
Total 3,184
Prince of Wales Division
1st Battalion, The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment 553
1st Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment 501
1st Battalion, The Royal Welch Fusiliers 507
1st Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Wales 477
1st Battalion, The Royal Gloucester, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment 527
Gloucester, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment 634
1st Battalion, The Worcestershire and Sherwood
Foresters Regiment
1st Battalion Staffordshire Regiment 500
Total 3,699
Light Division
1st Battalion, The Light Infantry 495
2nd Battalion, The Light Infantry 531
1st Battalion, The Royal Green Jackets 464
2nd Battalion, The Royal Green Jackets 570
Total 2,060
The Parachute Regiment
1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment 482
2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment 1 432
3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment 463
Total 1,377
Royal Irish Regiment
1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment 433
Total 433
The Gurkhas
1st Royal Gurkha Rifles 667
2nd Royal Gurkha Rifles 770
Total 1,437
1 The Battalions marked thus also have a Gurkha Reinforcement Company, comprising 100 Gurkhas, on their strength.

A similar breakdown for the 2,791 Infantry officers could not be provided without disproportionate cost as this information is not held centrally.