§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Special Investigation Bureau investigators are currently employed and at what locations; and by how many he will expand the service following the enactment of the Armed Forces Discipline Bill. [105649]
§ Mr. SpellarThe information requested is as follows:
The Naval Service
489WThe Royal Naval Special Investigation Branch comprises a total of 20 investigators, all of whom are based at Portsmouth, but who have a Fleet and world-wide remit. It is not intended to expand their numbers following the enactment of the Armed Forces Discipline Bill.The Army
Location Number Upavon 5 Colchester 6 Aldershot 13 Shorncliffe 2 Bulford 11 Plymouth 1 Bulford (HQ) 15 York 5 Catterick 6 Hounslow 8 Edinburgh 7 Donnington 7 Preston 1 Chichester (Trg) 9 Hohne 7 Osnabruck 7 Bielefeld 3 Gutersloh 6 Rheindahlen (Inc) 16 Sennelager 7 Northern Ireland 20 Cyprus 4 Canada (BATUS) 11 Total 167
The table shows the number of Special Investigation Branch investigators by their permanent location. Eleven of the 167 are currently on overseas short detachments (five to Kosovo, five to Bosnia, and one to East Timor).There are no plans to increase specific SIB numbers due to the enactment of the Armed Forces Discipline Bill. However, planning for the implementation of the likely provisions of the Act once it has passed into law is under way, and current plans provide for an increase in the overall number of Royal Military Police (other than SIB). As that work progresses over the coming months, that number will be refined and confirmed.The RAF
The following table shows the number of RAF personnel employed in the criminal investigation element of the RAF's Provost and Security Services (P&SS).
Location Number RAF Henlow (HQ) 34 RAF Cranwell 10 RAF Linton-on-Ouse 11 RAF Buchan 7 RAF Halton 11 RAF Innsworth 14 Rheindahlen 7 Cyprus 5 Gibraltar 1 Falkland Islands 1 Total 101
The RAF has no plans to expand the P&SS organisation following the enactment of the Armed Forces Discipline Bill.