To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average tour interval was for (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy, (c) Royal Air Force and (d) Royal Marine personnel in the latest period for which figures are available. (128238)

The average tour interval for land units is 26.5 months.

For Royal Navy personnel, deployments are not to be longer than nine months. A ship's programme aims for 60 per cent. of the time on deployment and 40 per cent. of the time alongside at the base port over a two-year rolling period. Current activity for surface ships is approximately 53 per cent. away, 47 per cent. at home.

Tour intervals for the Royal Marines in 3 Commando Brigade RM varies between units but on average is 34 months, although this does not reflect individual company deployments which have been more frequent.

Data on RAF average tour intervals are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.