Read the columns carefully in Hansard, the climb is not steady, there is a single and distorting jump at Autumn 2001. Take that out and the variation across the 3 services in less than 1.5%, in fact according to the published figures the Army and RN have slightly fewer claimants at the end of the reporting period.
Reasons? Maybe our expeditionary ethos, it is again easier to reduce disruption to the childrens lives if they are with their friends at school rather thanseeing dad (or mum) disappearing again. Thats what mine have said to me anyway, of course they may just want to get rid of me