§ Lord Vivianasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many bands the Royal Armoured Corps and infantry have lost through Options for Change reductions; why they are to lose their present regimental bands; and why the Army Air Corps and the new Adjutant General Corps, with no previous association with bands, are allocated one band each at the expense of the Royal Armoured Corps and Infantry.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Viscount Cranborne)The number of Royal Armoured Corps and infantry bands will reduce by 12 and 26 respectively.
The Adjutant General Corps inherited the band of the Women's Royal Army Corps, and therefore already has one. The Army Air Corps, recently awarded a guidon by Her Majesty The Queen, is now an official "teeth" arm, and, as such, it would be inappropriate for it not to have a band, along with other teeth arms.
§ Lord Vivianasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why existing Royal Armoured Corps and infantry bandsmen could not be retrained and paid as crewmen and retain a secondary unpaid trade of bandsmen, as do existing pipes and drums, fifes and drums and infantry corps of drums.
Viscount CranborneThe operational role of bandsmen as medical orderlies remains unchanged. To retain the musicians in a primary role as crewmen 77WA or infantry men would create a shortfall in meeting the mobilized medical requirement. Relying on these personnel for a secondary peacetime role reduces the ability of the band to undertake its primary musical task.
§ Lord Vivianasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the substantial link referred to in House of Commons Written Answers cols. 133 and 134 that will be retained between a cavalry band with any of the four proposed Royal Armoured Corps bands, and, if these bands will no longer be able to identify with regimental tradition and ceremony nor wear regimental insignia, what contributions they will make to the regimental system; and
Whether instruments, music libraries and ceremonial uniforms are owned and belong to Royal Armoured Corps and infantry regiments and not to public funds; if so, whether they intend to purchase them with what funds and what the cost would be for equipping the 140 bandsmen proposed for the four Royal Armoured Corps bands; and
Why they have abolished regimental bands, part of the regimental system; whether they now intend to abolish the rest of the regimental system; and whether this would be in direct conflict with their policy as stated by the Ministry of Defence.
Viscount CranborneThe change in the organization of Army music will require careful and detailed implementation. The implementation process is to be completed by 1st April 1995 under a team set up for this purpose, headed by the Inspector of Army Music. The team will consider the future funding of uniforms, sheet music and instruments and, with the Director of the Royal Armoured Corps and the Director of Infantry, the links between a cavalry or infantry regiment and its allocated band. The Government remain fully committed to the preservation of the regimental system.
§ Lord Vivianasked Her Majesty's Government:
To confirm that one of the stated reasons for reducing the number of bandsmen is to strengthen the teeth arms; why is it not possible for the 190 saved Royal Armoured Corps bandsmen posts to be put towards a third armoured reconnaissance regiment; whether to do so would retain 9/12 Lancers in the reconnaissance role; and whether this would allow the abandonment of the last Royal Armoured Corps amalgamation of the Queens Own Hussars with the Queens Royal Irish Hussars.
Viscount CranborneThe reoganisation of Army bands is aimed at ensuring that the right numbers of bandsmen, providing music to the high standard expected, are employed in proportion to the Army's total size. A number of frontline units will benefit from the savings we are making in this area. We do not intend to change the plans which have been announced for the re-roling or amalgamation of Royal Armoured Corps units.