(2) how many tours each battalion of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers has undertaken in the last five years; what the (a) location and (b) length was of each; and what the length of time was between each deployment;
(3) how many regiments of the (a) Corps of Royal Engineers, (b) Royal Corps of Signals, (c) Royal Logistic Corps and (d) Royal Electric and Mechanical Engineers have achieved the harmony guideline of 24 months over the last five years.
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 7 March 2006, Official Report, column 1283W, for the information relating to the Royal Engineers, Royal Corps of Signals and Royal Logistic Corps.
The location of deployments undertaken by elements of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) over the past five years can be found in the following table. Such deployments are normally conducted at sub-unit level and below, and vary in duration and composition of personnel involved, some involving a number of short visits to theatre. Information on the length of time between each element's deployment and the average tour interval that this would imply at Regimental level is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Regiment 1 February to 31 December 2001 1 January to 31 December 2002 1 January to 31 December 2003 1 Battalion REME The Balkans — Iraq and the Balkans (company) 2 Battalion REME — — Iraq The Balkans (company)1 3 Battalion REME The Balkans1 The Balkans1 Iraq 4 Battalion REME The Balkans The Balkans (company)1 The Balkans (company)1 5 Battalion REME — — Iraq (company)1 6 Battalion REME — The Balkans — 7 Air Assualt Battalion REME — — Iraq
Regiment 1 January to 31 December 2004 1 January to 31 December 2005 31 December 2005 to 1 July 2006 1 Battalion REME The Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq1 The Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq1 2 Battalion REME The Balkans (company)1 Afghanistan1 Afghanistan1 3 Battalion REME The Balkans (company) Iraq 4 Battalion REME The Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq 5 Battalion REME Iraq (company)1 6 Battalion REME Iraq (company) 7 Air Assualt Battalion REME Afghanistan 1 Indicates the same tour