Skip to main content

Armed Forces: Manpower

Volume 704: debated on Thursday 16 October 2008

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many trained military personnel are currently serving with Her Majesty's Armed Forces; how many civilian personnel are currently employed by Her Majesty's Armed Forces; and how many civil servants are employed by the Ministry of Defence. [HL5499]

The total trained military personnel currently serving with Her Majesty's Armed Forces as at 1 September 2008 is 173,130. This total includes UK full-time Regulars, full-time Reserve Service and Gurkhas.

The department does not directly distinguish between civilian personnel employed by Her Majesty's Armed Forces and civilian personnel employed by the Ministry of Defence. All civilian personnel are considered as employees of the Ministry of Defence.

The table below shows the number of civilian personnel employed in each budgetary employing area.

Headcount of civilian personnel by budgetary employing area1 as at 1 September 2008

Headcount:

Royal Navy

4,690

Army

17,530

Royal Air Force

8,910

Defence Equipment and Support

17,955

Centre

30,040

Other

370

Locally Engaged Civilians

12,995

Total

92,500

1. Royal Navy consists of personnel employed in Fleet TLB as well as personnel employed by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Army consists of personnel employed by Land Forces. Royal Air Force consists of personnel employed by Air Command. Centre consists of personnel employed by Central, Chief of Joint Operations, Science Innovation and Technology, Defence Estates TLBs, and staff in Trading Funds (Defence Science Technology Laboratories, Meteorological Office, Hydrographic Office and Defence Support Group). Other consists of personnel unallocated to TLBs.

Some civilian personnel employed in defence equipment and support, centre, and locally engaged civilians will provide support direct to the Armed Forces.