Troop numbers and costs of military personnel covering strikes revealed

The number of Armed Forces personnel filling in for other public sector members on strike currently stands at around 1,400 – although there's potential for a total of 2,500 to be deployed.

Giving evidence to the Public Accounts Committee, Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) David Williams gave a breakdown of those already committed.

Around 600 personnel have already received training to take on Border Force roles – supporting efforts such as passport control at key points of entry.

• Former officer says military personnel covering strikes deserve bonuses as campaign is launched
• Military has only 40 paramedics qualified to work in NHS ahead of strike cover
• Wallace says strikes over Christmas are 'ruining lives' of Armed Forces personnel

Six hundred more are in live training to drive ambulances in support of five NHS ambulance trusts in England.

Finally, it's thought just under 200 will bolster fire and rescue services in specialist roles, with the MOD "scoping out" more for general duties here, according to Mr Williams.

"It's possible there may be some request for assistance from the devolved administrations," said Mr Williams – adding that 2,500 troops had been "notionally earmarked" in case Maca (Military Aid to Civil Authorities) requests arrive from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The committee heard that the cost to departments calling on this MOD support would amount to around £4,000 a week, per individual deployed to assist.

Using these figures, a week's worth of role-filling due to strikes, with the current 1,400 deployed at once, would see a bill from defence for £5.6m.

Were 2,500 personnel to be deployed, a weekly bill could be £10m, although Mr Williams doubts that number would be required.

As the MOD pays the wages of those filling in, the committee asked why a full cost recovery was necessary in this instance.

Mr Williams explained how full cost recovery, as opposed to marginal cost recovery like the method used for Maca requests during Covid, is used to encourage departments to call on the private sector rather than the military, for whom it is illegal to strike.

When it comes to filling in for roles like these, the Armed Forces should be seen as a "last resort", he added.