§ Mr. SoamesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the latest strength against establishment of the Territorial Army is, broken down by(a) unit and (b) location; [174590]
(2) what the size of the Territorial Army was in each of the last five years; and what his estimate for each of the next three years is. [174591]
§ Mr. CaplinFigures for the strength and establishment of the Territorial Army (TA) by unit and location are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The current strength of the TA, as at 1 March 2004, is 36,900 (including 2,760 mobilised reservists) against an establishment of 41,900.
For historical information on the strength of the TA, I refer the hon. Member to Tri-Service Publication 7 (TSP 7), which is available from the House of Commons Library, or through the Ministry of Defence website. Forecasts of projected strength are not available.