§ 19. Mr. BrazierTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence by how much the strength of the(a) regular and (b) territorial armies have changed since May 1997; and by how much the number of medically unfit soldiers has changed over the same period. [76712]
§ Mr. IngramIn June 1997 the strength of the regular army was 101,360, of which 6.7 per cent. were listed as not employable at full combatant duties. In September this year, these figures were 101,660 and 10. 4 per cent. respectively.
53WIn June 1997 the strength of the territorial army stood at 55, 470. The strategic defence review vision for the territorial army was to restructure it into a more relevant, usable and integrated organisation. The current strength of the territorial army, as at 1 September 2002, stands at 38,835. This includes 400 who are currently mobilised in support of operations.