The cost of providing third line contracted-out career transition partnership (CTP) services to service leavers using the Regional Resettlement Centre (RRC) at Aldergrove during financial years 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 was £286,000, £397,000 and £391,000 respectively. These sums cover only the per capita payments made to the CTP contractor, Right Coutts Ltd, for full resettlement service registrations and discharges, and employment support programme registrations and discharges. It does not cover the cost of providing the facilities of RRC Aldergrove to the CTP contractor, or his staffing costs, which cannot be disaggregated from contracted price standing charges for all CTP facility manpower across the UK and Germany.
Neither do these figures include the cost of resettlement services provided in Northern Ireland by single service education and resettlement staffs: such information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Moreover, disaggregation of the proportion of time spent on resettlement provision by many who also deliver general education services to service personnel stationed in Northern Ireland would be subjective in the absence of recorded activity. The cost of resettlement training for the service leavers using RRC Aldergrove over this period, and their associated travel and subsistence costs, is not held centrally and could also only be provided at disproportionate cost. However, the maximum sum claimable by service leavers who discharged over this period in terms of individual resettlement training costs grant only would have been in the order of £900,000.
None of the per capita sums represents housing costs.
Since all CTP services are provided under contract, and not directly by the MOD, no MOD personnel were directly involved in delivering services under the CTP contract. Information on the break-down of grade structure of MOD personnel involved in delivering resettlement services at unit or local level could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
A total of 2,102 members of the armed forces were discharged through the Regional Resettlement Centre at RAF Aldergrove during financial years 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07, although it is not possible to confirm that all these Service leavers were living in Northern Ireland at the time or subsequently settled in the Province. The breakdown, which does not include serving personnel still moving through the resettlement process, is as follows:
Numbers taking up 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Total Full resettlement programme 491 615 674 1,680 Employment support programme 194 139 89 422
The personnel moving through resettlement include approximately a further 1,562 Royal Irish (Home Service) redundees who commenced resettlement preparation from 6 January 2006 but have yet to reach their phased exit date. The 1,680 includes 273 RI(HS) who were discharged by March 2007.
Information on the numbers of these Service leavers assisted with housing is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Ministry of Defence has set up the Joint Service Housing Advice Office (JSHAO) to provide advice, guidance and support on all aspects of accommodation for those leaving the Services. In addition to this, the Service Leavers Support team provide specific support for Service personnel in Northern Ireland.
These offices provide links to local authorities and Housing Associations throughout the UK and can offer advice on all housing options available. These include applications for social housing, shared or co-ownership schemes, and advice on renting or purchasing a property.
The MOD also provides a Long Service Advance of Pay (LSAP) of up to £8,500 repaid over 10 years and prior to discharge to assist in purchasing a property. This is intended to encourage home ownership for those preparing to leave the Services.