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.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answers of 24 January 2024 to Questions 10872 and 10873 on Ranger Regiment, the Answers of 24 January 2024 to Questions 10657 and 10658 on Armed Forces: Recruitment, the Answer of 24 January 2024 to Question 10656 on Armed Forces: Discharges, the Answer of 24 January 2024 to Question 10655 on Armed Forces and the Answer of 30 January 2024 to Question 10874 on Defence Equipment: Theft, when he plans to write to the hon. Member for Croydon Central with the information requested.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I will respond to the hon. Member shortly.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department made of the adequacy of proposals from Solway Community Power Company for the development of small modular reactors at Moorside; how much land is required for that proposed development; and how many meetings have taken place between the Department and that company.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department has had multiple engagements with Community Power Limited but has not at present made any assessment on their proposal. The Government launched the Alternative Routes to Market for New Nuclear Projects consultation on the 11th January 2024. This consultation explores what steps Government can take to enable different routes to market for Advanced Nuclear Technologies (ANTs) and how Government can support the private sector to bring forward new nuclear projects. In the case of Moorside, it would be natural for the site’s location adjacent to Sellafield to be factored into any decision.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment her Department has made of the viability of Moorside as a nuclear development site; and whether her Department has had recent discussions with Sellafield Ltd on the land requirements for developing that site.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Moorside is a candidate for new nuclear and one of a number of potential sites that could host civil nuclear projects. Whilst Great British Nuclear is working with the Government to support access to potential sites, no decisions have been made at present. In the case of Moorside, it would be natural for the site’s location adjacent to Sellafield to be factored into any decision.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the decision-making process is for the potential release of land by the Nuclear Development Authority for nuclear development sites at Moorside.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Moorside is a candidate for new nuclear and one of a number of potential sites that could host civil nuclear projects. Whilst Great British Nuclear is working with the Government to support access to potential sites, no decisions have been made at present. In the case of Moorside, it would be natural for the site’s location adjacent to Sellafield to be factored into any decision.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has had recent discussions with (a) Sellafield Ltd and (b) the Nuclear Development Authority on its plans for nuclear power developments at Moorside.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Moorside is a candidate for new nuclear and one of a number of potential sites that could host civil nuclear projects. Whilst Great British Nuclear is working with government to support access to potential sites, no decisions have been made at present. In the case of Moorside, it would be natural for the site’s location adjacent to Sellafield to be factored into any decision.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the extent of regulatory support for potential nuclear power developments at Moorside.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There is currently no project at Moorside, but any new developer will need to meet the requirements of our independent regulators. The Government’s Nuclear Roadmap has set out plans to streamline future nuclear development to make Britian the best place in the world to invest in nuclear. We believe the existing EN-6 sites, such as Moorside, are likely to retain inherent positive attributes that make them suitable for consideration for development.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many developers have expressed an interest in the development of new nuclear power at Moorside since its selection as a site for new nuclear power generation in 2009.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Moorside is a candidate for new nuclear and one of a number of potential sites that could host civil nuclear projects. The specific number of enquiries is currently not known, since the NDA, as owners of the Moorside site and other land, continue to engage any new nuclear vendor who has enquiries about their land.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders who went on to commit a serious further offence were classified as (a) high risk, (b) medium risk and (c) low risk in each year since 2010.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The table below sets out the total number of convictions, where an offender subject to probation supervision was charged with a serious further offence (SFO), which resulted subsequently in a conviction for an SFO, for all cases notified to what is now HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) between 1 January 2010 and 31 March 2022, listed by their highest classification of risk of serious harm during the period of supervision for the index sentence (though not necessarily the classification at the point they were charged with the SFO).
Year | Highest risk of serious harm during the index sentence | |||
| Very High / High | Medium | Low | Unknown |
2010 | 100 | 128 | 34 | 12 |
2011 | 93 | 129 | 25 | 23 |
2012 | 117 | 92 | 25 | 29 |
2013 | 107 | 104 | 25 | 27 |
2014 | 124 | 97 | 17 | 24 |
2015 | 116 | 130 | 21 | 30 |
2016 | 148 | 119 | 31 | 11 |
2017 | 191 | 139 | 36 | 19 |
2018 | 137 | 141 | 33 | 17 |
2019 | 165 | 129 | 21 | 17 |
2020 | 154 | 104 | 23 | 12 |
2021 | 162 | 92 | 13 | 9 |
2022 (Jan-Mar) | 37 | 23 | 10 | 3 |
1. Time period for conviction data relates to the date of SFO notification to HMPPS not the date of conviction.
2. Index sentence refers to the sentencing disposal imposed by the court which led to probation services supervision of the offender.
3.The risk of serious harm relates to the highest risk of harm assessed during the period of supervision on the index sentence, not at the time of the SFO.
4.The data concerning unknown risk of harm, may relate to cases where a formal risk assessment had not been completed during the index sentence, or was not captured at the point of notification, and has not been updated within the database.
5. The data includes cases where the SFO was committed within 28 days of the end of the supervision period.
6. Conviction data also includes cases where the offender committed suicide or died prior to the trial, where the judicial process concluded that they were responsible.
7. The data has been updated and may differ to any original publication due to data cleansing, re-categorising and re-grouping. Data in the annual SFO bulletin is shown in financial years not calendar years as above.
8. Data Sources and Quality. We have drawn these figures from administrative IT systems which, as with some large-scale recording systems, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Figures are published based on the date of SFO notification (charge) received by HMPPS. The lag between the date of publication and the conviction figures is to allow time for most cases to complete the criminal justice process. Figures for 2022/23 will be published in October 2024.
Serious further offences are incredibly rare, with fewer than 0.5% of offenders supervised by the Probation Service going on to commit serious further offences but each one is investigated fully so we can take action where necessary. We have also injected extra funding of more than £155 million a year into the Probation Service to deliver tougher supervision, reduce caseloads and recruit thousands more staff to keep the public safer.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Prison Transfer Agreements were in place in each year since 2010.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The removal of Foreign National Offenders is a Government priority and my department continues to work closely with the Home Office to maximise the number of deportations.
The total number of voluntary and compulsory Prisoner Transfer Agreements agreed since 2010 is set out below. For PTAs, the receiving country and their judiciary needs to consider and accept each individual transfer case.
Year: | Total PTA agreements |
2010 | 99 |
2011 | 99 |
2012 | 100 |
2013 | 100 |
2014 | 101 |
2015 | 102 |
2016 | 103 |
2017 | 103 |
2018 | 104 |
2019 | 106 |
2020 | 106 |
2021 | 107 |
2022 | 108 |
2023 | 110 |
2024 | 110 |
We are looking to negotiate new Prisoner Transfer Agreements with key EU Member States and wider-world countries. We signed a Prisoner Transfer Agreement with the Philippines in October 2023, and made a new arrangement with Albania in May 2023 to increase the number of transfers under the agreement signed in May 2022.