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Written Question
Armed Forces
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2024 to Question 10758 on Armed Forces, if he will name the regiments in the (a) Army and (b) Royal Marines which have been (i) disbanded and (ii) merged since 2010.

Answered by James Heappey

Further to the table provided to you in my letter of 7 February, the British Army regiments which have been disbanded since 2010 have been listed below.

As noted in that letter, this information represents single Service estimates based on management information which is not gathered for statistical purposes or subject to the same level of scrutiny as official statistics produced by Defence Statistics. I have attached an updated table to reflect minor discrepancies in the original which were observed during further analysis.

Within the Royal Armoured Corps, the 1st and 2nd Royal Tank Regiments were merged to become The Royal Tank Regiment in 2014. The Queen’s Royal Lancers merged with the 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales’s) to become the Royal Lancers in 2015. For the Reserves, the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry was placed in suspended animation in 2014. The Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry was created in the same year.

Within the Army Air Corps, 9th Regiment Army Air Corps was disbanded as a front-line regiment in 2016 and re-established as a flying regiment in 2018.

Within the Royal Artillery, 40th Regiment Royal Artillery was placed into suspended animation in 2012 as was 39th Regiment in 2015. For the Reserves, 100 (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery was placed in suspended animation in 2014.

The table below has been updated for the Royal Engineers. Within this Corps, 25 Engineer Regiment was disbanded in 2012 as was 38 Engineer Regiment in 2013. 28 Engineer Regiment was disbanded in 2014 but re-established in 2018. For the Reserves, both 72 and 73 Engineer Regiments disbanded in 2014. There were also two hybridised regiments; 101 Engineer Regiment and 33 Engineer Regiment. 101 Engineer Regiment became a Reserve regiment in 2018 and 33 Engineer Regiment became Regular regiment.

Within the Royal Signals, 7 Signal Regiment disbanded in 2012. 15 Signal Regiment was re-formed in 2015 and 13 Signal Regiment in 2020. For the Reserves, 38 Signal Regiment disbanded in 2015.

The table below has been updated for the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers (REME). Within this Regiment, 5 Battalion REME was formed in 2013. In 2015, 10 Battalion REME and 11 Battalion REME merged to become 8 Battalion REME. For the Reserves, 104 Battalion REME was disbanded in 2013. This was then re-established in 2015 along with 105 and 106 Battalions. However, in 2018, 104 Battalion merged with 103, 105 Battalion merged with 101, and 106 Battalion merged with 102.

The table below has been updated for the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC). Within this Corps, 8 Regiment RLC was disbanded in 2012. 12 Logistic Support Regiment was disbanded in 2013. 2 Logistic Support Regiment, 23 and 24 Regiment RLC were disbanded in 2014. 5 Training Regiment RLC disbanded in 2016 and 3 Regiment RLC in 2023. For the Reserves, 88 Postal and Courier Regiment, 155 and 160 Transport Regiments, 166 Supply Regiment and 168 Pioneer Regiment were disbanded in 2014.

Within the Royal Army Medical Corps, 2 Medical Regiment and 33 Field Hospital were disbanded in 2018. 3 Medical Regiment disbanded in 2022 when a number of re-designations took place. For the Reserves, in 2023, 225 (Scottish) Medical Regiment merged with 205 (Scottish) Field Hospital, 253 (Northern Ireland) Medical Regiment merged with 204 (Northern Ireland) Field Hospital, 201 Field Hospital merged with 212 Field Hospital and 207 Field Hospital merged with 208 Field Hospital.

Within the Royal Military Police, 4 and 5 Regiments Royal Military Police disbanded in 2020 and the Special Operations Regiment was formed. The Special Investigations Branch Regiment was subsumed into the Defence Serious Crimes Unit[1] on its formation in 2023.

No Regiments within the Army’s Infantry, Intelligence Corps or Veterinary Corps have been disbanded or merged since 2010.

The Royal Marines is organised into Commando Units rather than Regiments and none have been disbanded since 2010.

British Army Regiments (2010-2023)

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Total Regular

126

126

122

121

117

115

113

113

114

114

114

115

115

113

Total Reserve

73

73

73

72

67

69

69

69

67

67

67

67

67

63

Combat Forces

Infantry

Regular Regiments

17

17

17

17

17

17

17

17

17

17

17

18

18

18

Reserve Regiments

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

Royal Armoured Corps

Regular Army Regiments

12

12

12

12

11

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

Army Reserves Regiments

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

Army Air Corps

Regular Army Regiments

7

7

7

7

7

7

6

6

7

7

7

7

7

7

Army Reserves Regiments

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Combat Support Forces

Royal Artillery

Regular Army Regiments

16

16

15

15

15

14

14

14

14

14

14

14

14

14

Army Reserves Regiments

7

7

7

7

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

Royal Engineers[2]

Regular Army Regiments

15

15

14

13

12

12

12

12

14

14

14

14

14

14

Hybrid Regiments (Reg & Res)

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Army Reserves Regiments

5

5

5

5

3

3

3

3

4

4

4

4

4

4

Royal Signals

Regular Army Regiments

12

12

11

11

11

12

12

12

12

12

13

13

13

13

Army Reserves Regiments

5

5

5

5

5

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

Intelligence Corps

Regular Army Regiments

3

3

3

3

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

Army Reserves Regiments

2

2

2

2

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

Royal Army Veterinary Corps

Regular Army Regiments

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Army Reserve Regiments

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Combat Service Support

Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers[3][4]

Regular Army Battalions

8

8

8

9

9

8

8

8

8

8

8

8

9

9

Army Reserves Battalions

4

4

4

3

3

6

6

6

3

3

3

3

3

3

Royal Logistic Corps[5]

Regular Army Regiments

19

19

18

17

14

14

13

13

13

13

13

13

13

12

Army Reserves Regiments

17

17

17

17

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

Royal Army Medical Corps

Regular Army Regiments

11

11

11

11

11

11

11

11

9

9

9

9

8

8

Army Reserves Regiments

16

16

16

16

16

16

16

16

16

16

16

16

16

12

Royal Military Police

Regular Army Regiments

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

4

4

4

3

Army Reserves Regiments

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

[1] The Defence Serious Crimes Unit does not belong to the Army, it is part of the Defence Serious Crime Command (DSCC) within the Ministry of Defence.

[2] RE data for years 2010-2011 and 2014-2017 for Regulars, 2014-2018 for Reserves and additional hybrid regiments has changed since the original answer of 7 Feb.

[3] The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) are organised at unit level into Battalions, rather than Regiments. This represents a distinction in naming convention rather than difference in workforce requirement or operational outputs.

[4] REME data for years 2013, 2015 and 2018 for the Reserves has changed since the original answer of 7 Feb.

[5] RLC data for years 2012-2015 for the Regulars has changed since the original answer of 7 Feb.


Division Vote (Commons)
19 Mar 2024 - Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bill [Lords] - View Vote Context
Sarah Jones (Lab) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 154 Labour Aye votes vs 0 Labour No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 218 Noes - 305
Division Vote (Commons)
19 Mar 2024 - Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bill [Lords] - View Vote Context
Sarah Jones (Lab) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 151 Labour Aye votes vs 0 Labour No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 217 Noes - 305
Division Vote (Commons)
19 Mar 2024 - Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bill [Lords] - View Vote Context
Sarah Jones (Lab) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 152 Labour Aye votes vs 0 Labour No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 219 Noes - 306
Division Vote (Commons)
19 Mar 2024 - Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bill [Lords] - View Vote Context
Sarah Jones (Lab) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 153 Labour Aye votes vs 0 Labour No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 224 Noes - 301
Division Vote (Commons)
18 Mar 2024 - Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill - View Vote Context
Sarah Jones (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 181 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 322 Noes - 249
Division Vote (Commons)
18 Mar 2024 - Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill - View Vote Context
Sarah Jones (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 179 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 320 Noes - 250
Division Vote (Commons)
18 Mar 2024 - Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill - View Vote Context
Sarah Jones (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 181 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 324 Noes - 251
Division Vote (Commons)
18 Mar 2024 - Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill - View Vote Context
Sarah Jones (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 179 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 324 Noes - 253
Division Vote (Commons)
18 Mar 2024 - Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill - View Vote Context
Sarah Jones (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 181 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 328 Noes - 250