Written question asked by Gerald Howarth (Conservative) on Thursday, 3 December 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 7 December 2009. It was answered by Lord Davies of Stamford (Labour) on Wednesday, 9 December 2009 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current (a) required and (b) actual number of drivers is for each armoured vehicle type in the armed forces.

Answer: This information is not held centrally, or in the format requested, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.Armoured vehicles are used by a number of corps and units across the armed forces. Units are required to train using a ratio of 1.5 crew operators (drivers) per vehicle against their peacetime establishment. This ratio is different for operational requirements, which is usually set at two crew operators per vehicle.These ratios may vary depending on the vehicle, however all requirements are currently being met.

Secondary information