HC Deb 09 February 2004 vol 417 cc1183-4W
Mr. Keetch

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current strength of each regimental band in the armed forces is; and if he will make a statement. [151189]

Mr. Ingram

The trained strength of each Services bands are as follows:

Regimental band
Strength
Naval Service1,2
Royal Marines Britannia Royal Naval College Band 40
Royal Marines Commando Training Centre Band 45
HQ Band Service 10
Royal Marines School of Music 35
Royal Marines Band Plymouth 70
Royal Marines Band Portsmouth 85
Royal Marines Band Scotland 45
Army3,4
Life Guards 30
Blue and Royals 30
Dragoon Guards 30
Hussars and Light Dragoons 30
Royal Lancers 30
Royal Tank Regiment 30
Royal Artillery 45
Royal Engineers 35
Royal Signals 30
Grenadier Guards 50
Coldstream Guards 45
Scots Guards 50
Irish Guards 45
Welsh Guards 45
Highland 35
Lowland 30
Queens (Minden) 30
Queens (Normandy) 30
Kings (Waterloo) 35
Kings (Normandy) 35

Regimental band
Strength
Prince of Wales (Lucknow) 30
Prince of Wales (Clive) 35
Light Division 40
Royal Irish Regiment 35
Parachute 30
Army Air Corps 30
Royal Logistic Corps 35
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 30
Adjutant General's Corps
Gurkha (GURTAM)
Royal Air Force5,6
Central Band of the RAF 80
Band of the RAF Regiment 40
Music Detachment at Cranwell 40
1 Royal Marines band service data provided by DASA.
2 Strength as at 1 December 2003 and excludes 20 personnel not assigned to a Band unit. These individuals are usually deployed as Volunteer Band Instructors.
3 Data supplied by Corps of Army Music (CAM).
4 Strength as at 30 January 2004.
5 Officers Music Branch and Other Ranks Musicians data supplied by DASA.
6 Strength as at 1 December 2003 and excludes 10 personnel based at HQ Music Services in Uxbridge.

Note:

All figures include Officers and Other Ranks and have been rounded to the nearest five.