§ Mr. KeetchTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the last three operational deployments and the length between each has been for(a) 1 Para, (b) 2 Para,(c) 3 Para, (d) 7th Armoured Brigade, (e) 1st Armoured Brigade and (f) 161 Ambulance Regiment RLC; and how many personnel have been medically downgraded in each. [92140]
§ Dr. MoonieDetails of the last three operational deployments of each of the units listed, and the length between each of those deployments, are shown in Table 1. 1st Armoured Brigade does not exist. The details for 161 Ambulance Regiment RLC have also been excluded as the unit was disbanded last year, and no longer exists. 161 Ambulance Regiment RLC was a specialist TA unit, and never deployed as a formed unit.
Table 1 Unit Date Location Interval (months) 1 PARA June–August 1999 Kosovo - May and August 2000 (two short deployments) Sierra Leone 9 January–June 2001 Northern Ireland 4 2 PARA September–October 2001 Macedonia - January–March 2002 Afghanistan 2 September 2002–March 2003 Northern Ireland 6 3 PARA September 1997–March 1998 Northern Ireland - January–June 2000 Northern Ireland 21 January–June 2002 Northern Ireland 18 7 Armd April–October 1997 Bosnia — Brigade May–November 2000 Kosovo 31 May–November 2001 Kosovo 6 The details of those personnel classed as Non-FE, as at 1 December 2002, are included in Table 2. Non-FE status signifies some form of temporary medical downgrading, although it should be noted that while an individual is considered to be medically downgraded, they may still be liable for deployment, depending on the reason for the downgrading, the nature and location of the deployment, and medical advice.
Table 2 Unit Non-FE total Establishment total Percentage of establishment 1 Para 30 620 4.8 2 Para 20 687 2.9 3 Para 30 687 4.3 7 Armd Brigade 350 6,576 5.3