asked Her Majesty's Government:
What proportion of British troops currently serving in Afghanistan did not have the expected two-year interval between such tours of duty. [HL4114]
It is not possible to calculate the tour intervals experienced by individual troops currently serving in Afghanistan as specific tour interval data are collated at unit level only. Details of tour intervals for the formed units currently deployed in Afghanistan (as announced on 1 February 2007, (Official Report, col, 20WS refers) are provided in the tables below:
Army Units
The Army's harmony guidelines recommend a tour interval of 24 months between each six-month operational tour for Army battalions.
Unit Deployed in Afghanistan Unit Tour Interval (months) 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment 17 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards 8 The Light Dragoons 17 19 Regiment Royal Artillery 17 1st Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters (2 MERCIAN) 23 26 Engineer Regiment 17 2 Signal Regiment Royal Signals 46 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh1 15 4 Logistic Support Regiment Royal Logistic Corps1 N/A 4 General Support Medical Regiment Royal Army Medical Corps N/A 4 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers2 N/A Note 1. 1Bn The Royal Welsh are Theatre Reserve Battalion based in Cyprus. Currently they have one sub-unit deployed in Afghanistan. 2. Due to the movement of personnel between formed units (trickle posting) within the Logistics Corps, the Royal Medical Corps and the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, it is not representative to monitor Unit Tour Intervals.
Royal Air Force Units:
The Royal Air Force harmony guidelines state that formed units should spend four months on deployed operations followed by 16 months at base. RAF formed units currently deployed in Afghanistan that have not had the recommended interval between operational tours are:
Unit Deployed in Afghanistan Unit Tour Interval (months) 5 RAF Force Protection Wing HQ 11 51 Squadron RAF Field Regiment 11
Elements of other regiments/units/squadrons currently deployed in Afghanistan may also not have had the recommended tour interval but are not listed as tour interval data are not collated at sub-unit level or below.