Detailed information on the Jersey Field Squadron

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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS BY DEPUTY M.R. HIGGINS OF ST. HELIER

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 30th JUNE 2009

Question

Following my earlier oral question would the Minister please provide the following detailed information on the Jersey Field Squadron:

1. How much is the Island's defence contribution to HM Government which covers the cost of the Jersey Field Squadron?

Answer

2007: Total £914,991 2008: Total £884,792

Question

2. What is the permanent staff of the Field Squadron, breaking it down into seconded regular army personnel and local personnel?

Answer

T w o (2) Regular Soldiers (3 if no TA Officer Commanding available), two (2) Non-Regular

Permanent Staff (NRPS) and four (4) States of Jersey civil servants. The Squadron uses the Transport and Technical Services department to maintain all its vehicles and as such pays for a civilian Transport and Technical Services department fitter on an hourly basis.

Question

3. What is the cost of housing permanent members of the Field Squadron? Answer

The Squadron uses States of Jersey property to house its permanent staff; less one property that has a long term private lease. The enduring revenue liability is limited to property maintenance, which is met from the stated Squadron budget, and charges normally associated with residential properties. The underlying cost per annum is detailed below.

For 2007:

£48319.15 (Including all maintenance and lease charges)

£9246.77 (less property maintenance charges for the States of Jersey property) For 2008:

£76484.33 (Including all maintenance and lease charges – exceptional year as one property needed a new roof – note. commitment made to undertake work from existing funds as spend in 2008 reduced below level for 2007. This was an opportunity arising from cash savings associated with 7 soldiers deployed to Iraq)

£10883.28 (less property maintenance charges for the States of Jersey property)

Question

4. W  ould the Minister give the number of Island volunteer personnel on the books of the Squadron broken down by:

Answer

a. numbers recorded on the establishment for each year from the formation of the unit:

The Squadron's current records date back to 1996; it must be noted that when a soldier is mobilised for full time service they are posted from the Squadron's strength onto the Regular Army's strength.

The figures as at December for each year are:

b    n umbers recorded on the establishment who were actually paid for attendance at training sessions

from the year of its formation;

It is not possible to obtain detail as source data is no longer available because Ministry of Defence IT systems have changed over the years.  It is important to consider that soldiers only get paid to attend training; there is no financial retention' element for a TA soldier, and the current  policy  is  to  discharge  people  who  don't  train.  There  is  no  benefit  to  artificially inflating recruited strength and as such it is fair to say all those who are currently on the Squadron strength are training, and in receipt of pay, or pending discharge.

c numbers of volunteers on establishment who attended annual camp for each year since its formation;

Sometimes referred to as annual camps', continuous training periods of between 8 - 15 days can refer to a variety of activities, including recruit training courses, career courses, annual training exercises and attachments to Regular Units.  The Jersey Field Squadron term their training in whether or not their soldiers are trained to a level that allows them to deploy on Operations.

2001 25 2002 26 2003 26 2004 20 2005 37 2006 26 2007 34 2008 30

d    n umbers of volunteers on establishment who have served in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq or Afghanistan.

 3 3

Question

5. Would the Minister give details of the equipment paid for by Jersey for use by the Squadron and its current location?

Answer

The list of equipment held by the Jersey Field Squadron RE (M) is contained in a "Restricted" document; however, the Deputy can view it at the TAC on Mount Bingham should he wish.  The Jersey Field Squadron does not pay for equipment that it doesn't have and it does not retain equipment that it doesn't require.  With the exception of 6 sets of webbing and 3 Land Rover trailers (for exclusive use of the Jersey Field Squadron RE (M)) which is strategically placed with the Squadron's parent unit in Monmouth, to save on transport cost and excess baggage charges, all of the equipment that the Squadron has is held in Jersey.