§ 2. Mr. Stracheyasked the Secretary of State for War, in view of the decision not to call up National Service men for reserve training during 1957, what future he envisages for the Territorial Army; and whether he will make a statement.
§ The Secretary of State for War (Mr. John Hare)Regarding the general position, I cannot add to the Answer which I gave last Tuesday to the hon. Member for Dudley (Mr. Wigg). But I would like to take this opportunity of saying that we are most anxious to accept as many officers and airmen as possible from the Royal Auxiliary Air Force who may wish to volunteer for the Territorial Army.
§ Mr. StracheyI am certainly not pressing the right hon. Gentleman to solve the problem of the Territorial Army in an answer to a supplementary question. But in view of the fact that his Answer amounts to saying that its original function of providing the nucleus of a reserve Army has gone, will the right hon. Gentleman apply himself to telling us, at any rate by the time the Army Estimates are presented, what must be the function of the Territorial Army in our defence set-up? Otherwise I think that there will be great discouragement.
§ Mr. HareI appreciate what the right hon. Gentleman says, and I can assure him that, as soon as we are in a position to do so, we shall have something to say.
§ Sir L. RopnerRegarding annual training, can my right hon. Friend say whether, in his opinion, sufficient thought has been given to the small number of Territorials who will be going for annual training, and how difficult it is for units, the establishment of which may be many hundreds, to carry out any sort of training when only a dozen or two go to camp?
§ Mr. HareAgain, I appreciate the difficulties. As my hon. and gallant Friend knows, the volunteers will carry out their annual training, and this year training will not be above brigade level.
§ Mr. WiggThe right hon. Gentleman will be aware that the Territorial Army has been considerably "mucked about" in the last eighteen months or two years and that it will not survive much more "mucking about." Will the Minister concentrate his mind on the problem of making an announcement, not later than the time of the presentation of the Army Estimates, about what are to be the purposes of the Territorial Army, and how he proposes to carry them out?
§ Mr. HareI can assure the hon. Gentleman that I am giving my mind to this matter, and I will make a statement as soon as possible, but I cannot give a date.