HC Deb 19 November 2003 vol 413 cc959-60W
Mr. Keetch

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when last questioned, how many(a) RAF, (b) Army and (c) Navy personnel said that overstretch was causing problems in their working; what question was asked; how many responded to each option; what percentage of those asked to respond this represents; and if he will make a statement. [137517]

Mr. Caplin

[holding answer 13 November 2003]: All three Services conduct continuous attitude surveys (CASs) of serving personnel to ascertain attitudes towards a range of Service conditions.

In the Naval Service CAS there are currently no questions specifically mentioning or using the term 'overstretch'.

The last survey of Army serving personnel was sent out in December 2002 and the RAF CASs results in July 2003.

I intend to write to the hon. Member shortly with the results and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

Alan Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect of increased rates of childhood obesity on the ability of the armed forces to recruit sufficient numbers of young people in the past 10 years. [139124]

Mr. Caplin

In Financial Year 2002–03, the total armed forces intake from civilian life exceeded the recruiting target. Consequently, the apparent increase in the rates of childhood obesity in recent years has had no marked impact to date on the armed forces ability to recruit sufficient numbers of capable young people.

Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what statistical information analysis of recruitment patterns for each of HM Armed Forces is based. [137503]

Mr. Caplin

Armed Forces personnel data are compiled from pay and personnel records held by the Armed Forces Pay Administration Agency (AFPAA). These records are supplemented from other sources to improve the quality of the data on, for example, the ethnic origin of new recruits.

Information on potential recruits is compiled from data collected during the application process. This is held on each Service's Training Administration and Financial Management System (TAFMIS). Records are updated with more information at each stage of the recruitment process, from enquiry through to selection.