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Army: Foreigners

Answer

[holding answer 10 September 2008]: The proportion of all personnel and officers in the regular Army whose nationality was that of an overseas country in 1997, 2001, 2005 and 1 July 2008 are given in the following table:

Proportion of (i) all regular Army personnel and (ii) Army officers by nationality
Percentage
	1 April 1997	1 April 2001	1 April 2005	1 July 2008¹, ²
Nationality	All personnel	Officers	All personnel	Officers	All personnel	Officers	All Personnel	Officers
UK	99.4	98.7	98.4	98.4	94.2	98.1	92.84	98.14
Foreign and Commonwealth³	0.6	1.3	1.6	1.6	5.8	1.9	7.24	1.94
¹ 2,450 personnel with no nationality marker on JPA have been excluded from 1 July 2008 figures.
². Due to ongoing validation of data from JPA, Army strength statistics at 1 July 2008 are provisional and subject to review.
³ Foreign and Commonwealth personnel include personnel whose nationality was that of Republic of Ireland, Commonwealth (excluding UK), UK dependencies and other countries, as recorded on Record of Service/Joint Personnel Administration System (JPA).
4 Denotes provisional.
Notes:
1. The figures are for regular Army only and therefore exclude Gurkhas, Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment, Full Time Reserve Service, Mobilised Reserves, TA and all other Reserves. It includes both trained and untrained personnel.
2. Nationality is that recorded on Record of Service/JPA as at the date of strength and is not necessarily the same as at birth or when recruited.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

223300; 479 c2074W

Session

2007-08

Subjects

Armed forces Army Foreign nationals

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk