HC Deb 06 May 1970 vol 801 cc406-7
35. Mr. Wiggin

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received for expanding the manpower and training time of Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve cadres.

Mr. Richard

None, Sir, other than that on training time from the Council of Territorial, Auxiliary and Volunteer Reserve Associations to which I referred in my Written Answer of 26th November last. Resulting from the review to which I then referred, the number of training periods for cadres, as for other independent units of the TAVR, has been increased from 18 to 30.—[Vol. 792, c. 97.]

Mr. Wiggin

Is it not a fact that the limitation on training time is seriously reducing the amount of voluntary effort which members of the cadres can make in the national interest? Would the hon. Gentleman consider some interchangeability of training time between the cadres and their parent units?

Mr. Richard

It is obvious that if the amount of training time is limited the amount of training is also limited. I am not prepared to consider the second point raised by the hon. Gentleman. It would seem inappropriate for the cadres, having regard to the rôles which the Government allotted to them when they were set up.

36. Mr. Wiggin

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received for expanding the manpower and training time of Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve cadres.

Mr. Richard

TAVR cadres are issued with personal arms, equipment and clothing appropriate for their mobilisation rôles as foreseen at the present time.

Mr. Wiggin

Is it not a fact that the Government originally resurrected these regiments as cadres with a view to using them as a nucleus for regiments in the event of mobilisation in a national emergency? Is it not also a fact that they have totally inadequate equipment for that rôle?

Mr. Richard

The hon. Gentleman is not quite right. I invite him to read the statement made in the House by the then Minister of Defence for Administration on 28th November, 1968, when the various rôles for which the cadres were set up were given. They do not correspond to that given by the hon. Gentleman.