Written question asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Baroness Taylor of Bolton (Labour) on Wednesday, 7 April 2010.

Armed Forces: Imprisonment

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and refused to return there have been imprisoned due to their refusal to serve another tour in each of the past four years; and what is the average length of sentence for such soldiers.

Answer: The information is not held in the format requested. Our Armed Forces are prepared to put their lives on the line in service of the country. They willingly accept restrictions to their lifestyle and the unique conditions of service that are required to do the job. Wherever possible we will accommodate individual needs, providing that this does not impact on operational effectiveness. Service personnel are not allowed to choose which assignments they will undertake or which orders they will follow. As a result, refusing to serve on operations may result in a charge for desertion. In each of the past four years, three personnel from all three services have been charged and found guilty of desertion, with an average length of sentence of about eight months. It is not possible to confirm whether a refusal to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan, on either a first or second tour, was a factor in all of these cases.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 3096; 718 c425WA
Session: 2009-10
Subjects: Armed forces Desertion Iraq Peacekeeping operations Sentencing Afghanistan
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk