John Redwood’s contribution to the Statement on Armed Forces Redundancies, 4 April

Mr John Redwood (Wokingham) (Con): Will the Minister remind the House how many uniformed armed services personnel will need to leave the service over the next two years under the current plans, and will he tell us why this cannot be done by means of natural wastage rather than redundancies?

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Andrew Robathan): As far as possible, it is being done by means of natural wastage, and indeed by reducing recruiting, but, as my right hon. Friend will understand, we must continue to recruit because otherwise there will be an imbalance in the armed forces. The number that we are looking at, off the top of my head-in fact I have it here, if my right hon. Friend will wait one second-is 11,000.