British Army of the Rhine

HC Deb 23 January 2003 vol 398 c442W

Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the size is of the British Army of the Rhine; what its size was in(a) 1997, (b) 1993 and (c) 1983; and what British forces remain in Germany. [91854]

Mr. Ingram

As a result of the drawdown of British troops in the early 1990s the British Army of the Rhine was disbanded on 1 April 1994. The present establishment of British Army (Germany) is 22,500.

In the period between the years 1983 and the commencement of the drawdown of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) in 1992 there was little change in the establishment figure. In 1983 it would have been approximately 59,000.

Following the commencement of the drawdown this figure had reduced to 35,000 by the end of 1993 and to 23,500 by 1997.

In addition to the British Army (Germany) establishment, there are a small number of Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel currently stationed in Germany.