There is no doubt that when soldiers are sent abroad, those who are left have to double up and their families are also put under pressure. The statistics for my local regiment are interesting. Between April and December 1998 it recruited 42 soldiers, but lost 48. Although the regiment has a good recruitment record, retention is still poor. The best retention record in the Army is a unit that recruited 127 soldiers and lost 70.
Statistics also show the effect of separation on families.
From September 1997 to March 1999, the battalion has experienced eight divorces, and 17 more are pending. Column 517 Reasons given include the general pressure of service life, but in nine cases, current operational deployment hasbeen specifically cited as a cause. Accommodation and education are problems for families, as is health care. Finding national health service dental treatment is difficult for everyone, but it is especially so for service families who are not allowed forces' dentistry. Anyone who needs hospital treatment and who moves to a new area will go to the bottom of the new waiting list, and I am glad that the Minister will say something further on that.