To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) required and (b) actual number of personnel in each corps of the Territorial Army is; and what the percentage shortfall for each corps is. (251749)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 10 November 2008, Official Report, column 780W.

Defence Analytical Services and Advice figures as at 1 September 2008 show the overall Territorial Army liability requirement as 34,620 and the strength as 28,890 personnel. This represents an overall percentage shortfall of 16.5 per cent.

Figures for each corps of the Territorial Army are not held in the format requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of the trained strength personnel complement of the Territorial Army were unavailable for deployment under his Department’s policy of deploying individuals for one year in every five (a) at the latest date for which figures are available and (b) in each of the last five years. (251897)

As at 12 December 2008, approximately 6,600 Territorial Army personnel were unavailable for further deployment, in line with the Department’s policy of deploying individuals for one year in every five following operational deployments. This figure represents approximately 38 per cent. of the trained Territorial Army strength.

In the past five years (January 2003-April 2008) more than 15,000 Territorial Army personnel have deployed on operations. Accordingly, each period of individual service has attracted an exemption from additional service in the following five year period.