HC Deb 18 July 2003 vol 409 cc919-21W
Bob Russell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the authorised strength of each battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment is; and how many vacancies there are. [126212]

Mr. Caplin

The authorised strength (Establishment), actual strength and the deficit of each battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment is detailed in the table.

Mr. Caplin

Details of the Scottish regiments, their authorised strength (Establishment), actual strength and manning deficit, are given in the following table.

Mr. Caplin

[holding answer 25 June 2003]: Armed Forces personnel who are found guilty of criminal charges requiring imprisonment are detained within Her Majesty's Prisons. There are no separate "military prisons". However, detention facilities are available at guardrooms in units and establishments in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the world. When it is necessary to hold an individual in custody pending their trial or sentencing, they are usually held at a local detention facility. An average of around 1,000 personnel per year have been held at the Military Corrective Training Centre (MCTC) in Colchester. The following table gives the number of attempted suicides, suicides, and incidents of self harm of members of the armed forces either in custody or awaiting a custodial sentence at the MCTC in Colchester. Information on members of the Armed Forces held in custody elsewhere is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Members of the armed forces in custody Members of the armed forces awaiting custodial sentence
Year Attempted Suicide Suicide Attempted Suicide Suicide Self Harm
2003 0 0 0 0 0
2002 2 0 0 0 0
2001 1 0 0 0 1
2000 0 0 0 1 0
1999 2 0 0 0 0
1998 0 0 0 1 0
1997 0 0 0 0 0
1996 1 0 0 0 0
1995 0 0 0 0 0
1994 0 0 0 0 0
1993 0 0 0 0 0
1992 0 0 0 0 0
1991 0 0 0 0 0
1990 0 0 0 0 0
Total 6 0 0 2 1