The fourth and final tranche of the Armed Forces Redundancy Programme was announced on 23 January 2014. Over 11,000 personnel have made redundant since 2011 with a further 1,500 expected in 2014.
Armed Forces Redundancies (157 KB , PDF)
The Armed Forces are undergoing a dramatic reduction in size and reorganisation. An Armed Forces Redundancy scheme is currently underway to achieve some of the reductions outlined in 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review. Additional reductions for the Army were announced in July 2011 after a ‘Three Month Review’. Altogether 33,000 personnel, 19% of the Armed Services, are to leave the services which will be achieved through a combination of redundancy, natural wastage and reduced intake.
Four tranches of redundancies have been announced. Over 11,000 personnel have been selected for redundancy in three tranches, in 2011, 2012 and 2013. The fourth and final tranche, announced on 23 January 2014, will make up to 1,500 personnel redundant. This affects the Army and a small number of medical and dental officers from the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
Armed Forces Redundancies (157 KB , PDF)
In a vote in July 2016 the House of Commons approved the decision to maintain the UK’s nuclear deterrent beyond the early 2030s. After almost a decade of work on the project, that vote subsequently enabled the programme to move forward into its manufacturing phase, which will see the construction of four new Dreadnought class ballistic missile submarines entering service in the 2030s.
In response to Russian military action in Ukraine, Western allies and other partners across the globe have imposed an unprecedented package of coordinated sanctions against Russia. This briefing paper should be taken as correct at the time of writing.
This page features Commons Library publications relevant to the current crisis in Ukraine.