Written question asked by Lindsay Hoyle (Labour) on Thursday, 24 February 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 8 March 2005. It was answered by Ivor Caplin (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 March 2005 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Ministry of Defence

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much block leave is allocated to units (a) prior to an operational tour of Iraq and (b) on return from Iraq. - Including figure.

Answer: Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much block leave is allocated to units (a) prior to an operational tour of Iraq and (b) on return from Iraq. [219064] Mr. Caplin: There is no established regulation on the provision of `block leave' prior to deployment on an operational tour. Many units do work a `block leave' system in which the unit will stand-down as a whole. These periods may take place at the discretion of the commanding officer before an operational tour, providing they do not conflict with the interests of the service and that there is sufficient time prior to deployment for leave to be taken. Post operational tour leave and post operational detachment leave were introduced in recognition of the stresses and strains that operational deployments bring to both an individual and their family and friends. The general entitlement for all personnel returning from a tour in Iraq of six months is a minimum of 20 working days leave. However, the breakdown of this entitlement between additional post-operational leave and an individual's annual leave entitlement differs between the three services.

Secondary information