Clause 2.—(ESTABLISHMENT OF SPECIAL FORCE IN VOLUNTEER RESERVE.) (Hansard, 15 July 1966)

§ The Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Army (Mr. David Ennals)
I beg to move, Amendment No. 1, in page 1, line 15, to leave out "special force" and to insert force for home service (hereafter in this section referred to as ' the home service force')".

§ Mr. Speaker
It may be convenient for the House to consider, at the same time, Amendments Nos. 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10.

§ Mr. Ennals
That is convenient, Mr. Speaker, because the effect of this series of Amendments is that we would cease to describe the T. & A.V.R. III—that is, the Territorials—as a special force, and instead would call it a home service force.
1896 The Amendments are designed only to meet the views expressed by the Opposition in Committee. Hon. Gentlemen opposite argued that if we used the term "special force" it might be confused with the special constabulary or might create some confusion with the Special Army Volunteer Reserve. In Committee I promised to look into the matter to see if I could find a more acceptable form of words that would help to remove any possibility of confusion. Whatever words we write into the Bill, the force will be known as the Territorials. If there should be any opposition to the Amendment by hon. Gentlemen opposite, we would happily withdraw it, but we think that these words meet the point.

§ Mr. J. Enoch Powell (Wolverhampton, South-West)
I can hardly believe that the purpose or value of this series of Amendments is, as the Under-Secretary said, only to meet the views expressed by my hon. Friends and myself in Committee. I thought that it would be generally felt that the expression "home service" is a better description than "special force" for the purpose of this part of the new Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve and that it would be regarded as both more accurate and less derogatory that it should be described statutorily as "the home service force" rather than "the special force". Although the manner in which the concession was made was, perhaps, slightly patronising, we regard it as an improvement.
We recognise, and are glad, that this part of the new volunteer reserve will be known as the Territorials and will thus bear forward into the future that honoured description. Whatever is the term used in common parlance, it is nevertheless right that we should seek to find as appropriate, as decent and as acceptable a statutory term as we can to write into an Act of Parliament.

§ Mr. Powell
Does the Under-Secretary of State propose to offer an explanation of ibis Amendment?

§ Mr. Speaker
I understood that several Amendments were being taken together.

§ Mr. Ennals
I beg your pardon, Mr. Speaker. I should have explained that this Amendment was one to meet points made during debate when it was suggested that it would create some confusion if we had a form of words which was used in a different sense in another part of the Bill. I said in Committee that it was our intention to bring forward this Amendment.