Corporate report

Ministry of Defence Votes A: 2021 to 2022 (accessible version)

Published 4 February 2021

Presented to the House of Commons by the Secretary of State for Defence by Command of Her Majesty Ordered by The House of Commons to be printed 4th February 2021

HC 1125

© Crown copyright 2021

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at www.gov.uk/official-documents

Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at:

Defence Statistics (Tri-Service)
Ministry of Defence
Main Building
Floor 3 Zone M
Whitehall
London
SW1A 2HB

or

E-mail: Analysis-Tri-Service@mod.gov.uk and start your subject as “Votes A”

ISBN 978-1-5286-2371-1

CCS0121813792 02/21

Printed on paper containing 75% recycled fibre content minimum

Printed in the UK by the APS Group on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office

Ministry of Defence Votes A 2021-22

---

These Votes A seek Parliamentary authority for the maximum numbers of personnel to be maintained for service with the Armed Forces during the year ending 31st March 2022. These numbers do not constitute the Workforce Requirement or the Strength of the Armed Forces, which is published separately in the UK Armed Forces Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics. Other Ministry of Defence Requests for Resources appear as Supply Estimates.

Signed by:

The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP

Ministry of Defence

4th February 2021

Vote A (Navy) I: Maximum Number of Officers, Men and Women to be Maintained for the Service in the Regular Naval and Marine Forces

Thirty eight thousand and nine hundred (38,900)

	2020-2021				2021-2022
Officers	Men and Women	Total		Officers	Men and Women	Total
7,000	22,500	29,500	Royal Navy	7,000	23,700	30,700
1,000	7,200	8,200	Royal Marines	1,000	7,200	8,200
8,000	29,700	37,700	Total	8,000	30,900	38,900

Notes

1. This Table of the Vote fixes the maximum number of officers, men and women of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, including those on terminal leave, who may be maintained for naval service at any time during the year.

2. The maximum number includes a margin of 10% to cover unforeseen contingencies.

3. The number includes personnel on loan service with government departments or other governments and personnel serving in international defence organisations.

4. Naval service does not have officers designate.

Vote A (Navy) II: Maximum Number of Officers, Men and Women to be Maintained for Service in the Reserve Naval and Marines Forces

(excluding those to be maintained as special members of these forces under Part V of the Reserve Forces Act 1996)

Twenty three thousand, two hundred and ten (23,210)

		2021-2022
	Officers	Men and Women	Total
Royal Fleet Reserve (naval officers and ratings)	4,960	9,000	13,960
Royal Fleet Reserve (marine officers and marines)	470	2,610	3,080
Royal Naval Reserve	1,400	2,300	3,700
Royal Marines Reserve	120	1,250	1,370
Royal Naval Reserve (List 7)	1,100	-	1,100
Total	8,050	15,160	23,210

Notes

1. Those maintained on List 7 of the Royal Naval Reserve include Royal Naval Reserve temporary officers recruited to assist with University Royal Naval Units (URNUs), URNU undergraduates and members of the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme (DTUS). List 7 personnel do not have a call out liability.

2. The Reserve Forces Act 1996 introduced three new categories of the Reservist: Full-Time Reserve Service, Additional Duties Commitment and High Readiness Reserve. The following notes detail the maxima of personnel in these categories. These maxima are included in the totals shown in Table II above:

3. Numbers of members of each force who may at any time be in full-time service under section 24 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996:	Officers	Men and Women	Total
- In the Royal Fleet Reserve as naval officers and ratings	180	600	780
- In the Royal Fleet Reserve as marine officers and marines	40	150	190
- In the Royal Naval Reserve	180	135	315
- In the Royal Marines Reserve	35	100	135
Total in the reserve naval and marine forces who may at any time be in full-time service under section 24 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996	435	985	1,420

4. Numbers of members of each force who may at any time be subject to additional duties commitment under section 25 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996:	Officers	Men and Women	Total
- In the Royal Fleet Reserve as naval officers and ratings	40	15	55
- In the Royal Fleet Reserve as marine officers and marines	15	10	25
- In the Royal Naval Reserve	40	40	80
- In the Royal Marines Reserve	30	40	70
Total in the reserve naval and marine forces who may at any time be subject to additional duties commitments under section 25 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996	125	105	230

5. Numbers of members of each force who may at any time be liable for call-out under special agreements as members of the High Readiness Reserve under Part IV of the Reserve Forces Act 1996:	Officers	Men and Women	Total
- In the Royal Fleet Reserve as naval officers and ratings	15	40	55
- In the Royal Fleet Reserve as marine officers and marines	5	20	25
- In the Royal Naval Reserve	20	30	50
- In the Royal Marines Reserve	10	30	40
Total in the reserve naval and marine forces who may at any time be liable for call-out under special agreements as members of the High Readiness Reserve under Part IV of the Reserve Forces Act 1996	50	120	170

Vote A (Navy) III: Maximum Number of Officers, Men and Women to be Maintained for Service as Special Members of the Reserve Naval Forces under Part V of the Reserve Forces Act 1996

Two thousand, four hundred and seventy (2,470)

		2021-2022
	Officers	Men and Women	Total
Royal Naval Reserve	850	1,620	2,470
Total	850	1,620	2,470

Notes

1. Members of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) have a liability to become Special Members of the Reserve Naval Forces. Existing RFA personnel may become Special Reservists on a voluntary basis whereas new entrants are automatically enlisted as part of their terms and conditions of service.

Vote A (Army) I: Maximum Number of Officers, Men and Women to be Maintained for Army Service

One hundred and eight thousand, four hundred and twenty (108,420)

	2020-2021				2021-2022
Officers	Men and Women	Total		Officers	Men and Women	Total
14,490	88,500	102,990	Army (Other than Services below)	14,610	88,550	103,160
190	4,670	4,860	Commonwealth, Colonial, &c., troops abroad and Gurkhas	190	5,070	5,260
14,680	93,170	107,850	Total	14,800	93,620	108,420

Notes

1. This Table of the Vote fixes the maximum number of officers, men and women including those on terminal leave and also young and junior soldiers, who may be maintained for army service at any time during the year.

2. The maximum number includes a margin of 10% to cover unforeseen contingencies.

3. The number includes personnel on loan service with government departments or other governments and personnel serving in international defence organisations.

4. Officers includes up to 890 officers designate.

Vote A (Army) II: Maximum Number of Officers, Men and Women to be Maintained for Service in the Reserve Land Forces

(excluding those to be maintained as special members of these forces under Part V of the Reserve Forces Act 1996)

Seventy eight thousand, three hundred and forty (78,340)

		2021-2022
	Officers	Men and Women	Total
Army Regular Reserve	8,830	23,180	32,010
Army Reserve	9,900	36,430	46,330
Total	18,730	59,610	78,340

Notes

1. The totals of the Army Reserve include officers, men and women employed full-time but not Regular Army members of permanent staff who are included in Table 1.

2. The Defence Reform Act 2014 renamed the Army Reserve as the Regular Reserve and renamed the Territorial Army as the Army Reserve.

3. The Reserve Forces Act 1996 introduced three new categories of Reservist: Full-Time Reserve Service, Additional Duties Commitment and High Readiness Reserve. The following notes detail the maxima of personnel in these categories. These maxima are included in the totals shown in Table II above.

4. Numbers of members of each force who may at any time be in full-time service under section 24 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996:	Officers	Men and Women	Total
- In the Army Regular Reserve	1,420	3,130	4,550
- In the Army Reserve	870	2,380	3,250
Total in the reserve land forces who may at any time be in full-time service under section 24 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996	2,290	5,510	7,800

5. Numbers of members of each force who may at any time be subject to additional duties commitments under section 25 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996:	Officers	Men and Women	Total
- In the Army Regular Reserve	3,220	3,240	6,460
- In the Army Reserve	4,620	6,030	10,650
Total in the reserve land forces who may at any time be subject to additional duties commitments under section 25 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996	7,840	9,270	17,110

6. Numbers of members of each force who may at any time be liable for call-out under special agreements as members of the High Readiness reserve under Part IV of the Reserve Forces Act 1996:	Officers	Men and Women	Total
- In the Army Regular Reserve	40	150	190
- In the Army Reserve	60	440	500
Total in the reserve land forces who may at any time be liable for call-out under special agreements as members of the High Readiness reserve under Part IV of the Reserve Forces Act 1996	100	590	690

Vote A (Army) III: Maximum Number of Officers, Men and Women to be Maintained for Service as Special Members of the Reserve Land Forces under Part V of the Reserve Forces Act 1996

Seven hundred and ten (710)

		2021-2022
	Officers	Men and Women	Total
Army Regular Reserve	20	130	150
Army Reserve	20	540	560
Total	40	670	710

Vote A (Air Force) I: Maximum Number of Officers, Men and Women to be Maintained for Air Force Service

Thirty six thousand and four hundred (36,400)

	2020-2021				2021-2022
Officers	Men and Women	Total		Officers	Men and Women	Total
8,600	27,800	36,400	Royal Air Force	8,600	27,800	36,400
8,600	27,800	36,400	Total	8,600	27,800	36,400

Notes

1. This Table of the Vote fixes the maximum number of officers, men and women, including those on terminal leave, who may be maintained for air force service at any time during the year.

2. The maximum number includes a margin of 10% to cover unforeseen contingencies.

3. The number includes personnel on loan service with government departments or other governments and personnel serving in international defence organisations.

Vote A (Air Force) II: Maximum Number of Officers, Men and Women to be Maintained for Service in the Reserve Air Forces

(excluding those to be maintained as special members of these forces under Part V of the Reserve Forces Act 1996)

Eighteen thousand and three hundred (18,300)

		2021-2022
	Officers	Men and Women	Total
Royal Air Force Reserve	4,500	9,000	13,500
Royal Auxiliary Air Force	950	3,850	4,800
Total	5,450	12,850	18,300

Notes

1. The maximum for the Royal Air Force Reserve includes 300 officers and 5,800 men and women who have a Reserve liability, 3,000 officers in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training) for the purposes of service with the Air Training Corps, Air Experience Flight, Combined Cadet Force and Volunteer Gliding Schools. The Royal Air Force Reserve men and women category includes 1,100 officer cadets serving with the University Air Squadrons.

2. The Reserve Forces Act 1996 introduced three new categories of Reservist: Full-Time Reserve Service, Additional Duties Commitment and High Readiness Reserve. The following notes detail the maxima of personnel in these categories. These maxima are included in the totals shown in Table II above.

3. Numbers of members of each force who may at any time be in full-time service under Section 24 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996:	Officers	Men and Women	Total
- In the Royal Air Force Reserve	580	710	1,290
- In the Royal Auxiliary Air Force	120	350	470
Total in the reserve air forces who may at any time be in full-time service under Section 24 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996:	700	1,060	1,760

4. Numbers of members of each force who may at any time be subject to additional duties commitments under Section 25 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996:	Officers	Men and Women	Total
- In the Royal Air Force Reserve	110	50	160
- In the Royal Auxiliary Air Force	30	30	60
Total in the reserve air forces who may at any time be subject to additional duties commitments under Section 25 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996:	140	80	220

5. Numbers of members of each force who may at any time be liable for call-out under special agreements as members of the High Readiness Reserve under Part IV of the Reserve Forces Act 1996:	Officers	Men and Women	Total
- In the Royal Air Force Reserve	-	-	-
- In the Royal Auxiliary Air Force	40	60	100
Total in the reserve air forces who may at any time be liable for call-out under special agreements as members of the High Readiness Reserve under Part IV of the Reserve Forces Act 1996:	40	60	100

Vote A (Air Force) III: Maximum Number of Officers, Men and Women to be Maintained for Service as Special Members of the Reserve Air Forces under Part V of the Reserve Forces Act 1996

Two hundred and eighty (280)

		2021-2022
	Officers	Men and Women	Total
Royal Air Force Reserve	100	180	280
Royal Auxiliary Air Force	-	-	-
Total	100	180	280