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Armed Forces: Desertion

Volume 468: debated on Monday 26 November 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces reported absent without leave between January 2004 and October 2007 were aged between (a) 18 to 20, (b) 21 to 25, (c) 26 to 30, (d) 31 to 35 and (e) 36-years-old or above. (165799)

The breakdown of personnel reported absent without leave by age group between January 2004 and October 2007 for the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Army is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The number of Royal Navy personnel broken down by age group who have been reported absent without leave between January 2004 and October 2007 is shown in the following table.

Age 18-20

Age 21-25

Age 26-30

Age 31-36

Age 36+

Total

2004

66

67

23

18

10

184

2005

89

70

20

15

2

196

2006

77

57

8

12

3

157

2007

49

47

8

4

7

115

Total

281

241

59

49

22

652