§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to reinstate the use of barrack trousers as part of the Army Cadet Force standard uniform; and if he will make a statement. [20980]
§ Dr. MoonieThere are no plans to issue barrack dress trousers to members of the Army Cadet Force.
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures there are to increase cadet participation in Regular and Territorial Army exercises. [20979]
§ Dr. MoonieGenerally, cadets do not participate in Regular and Territorial Army exercises. If, however, there is activity that is deemed appropriate by the County Commandant—such as acting as casualties during first aid training—the cadets may participate. My hon. Friend may like to note that any such participation must be properly supervised and carried out in accordance with the rules laid down for cadet activities.
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cadets in the Army Cadet Force there have been in each year since 1997; and how many Army Cadet Force units have been(a) opened and (b) closed since 1997. [20981]
§ Dr. MoonieThe numbers of cadets in the Army Cadet Force in each year since 1997 are shown in the table. These figures represent average numbers across each year.
Year Strength 1997 40,047 1998 40,707 1999 42,550 2000 42,491 2001 40,573 Between 1 January 1997 and 1 November this year a total of 45 ACF detachments have closed and 66 have opened.
744W
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the procedure that is to be taken when promoting an army cadet within the Army Cadet Force; and what qualifications a cadet must have to achieve a higher rank in the organisation. [20982]
§ Dr. MooniePromotions in the cadets are granted in accordance with regulations contained in the Army Cadet Force manual; they depend entirely on merit and are achieved usually when cadets have qualified for the appropriate stars. The achievement of stars is linked to the successful completion of certain skills tests at various levels (such as fieldcraft, drill and skill at arms).
To achieve promotion to Cadet Lance Corporal the cadet must have passed 1 star, for Cadet Corporal he or she must have passed 2 star, for Cadet Sergeant he or she must have passed 3 star and for Cadet Warrant Officer he or she must have passed 4 star.
Cadets with exceptional or outstanding service may also be appointed as a Master Cadet or a Lord Lieutenant Cadet. Both appointments are made on the recommendation of the County Commandant.