§ 6. Mr. SpellerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy that under any Army reorganisation those county regiments with affiliated Territorial Army battalions bearing the same name will be retained.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonIt is not yet possible to comment on the future of particular regiments or their organisation.
§ Mr. SpellerDoes my hon. Friend agree that while military mergers are nothing new, it must be logical to encourage those regiments with centuries of local recruiting tradition to continue that tradition? Examples include the 11th Foot, the North Devonshire regiment, now the Devonshire and Dorset regiment, where the local groundswell of support is such that recruiting will continue even in times when it is more difficult than in other parts of the world.
§ Mr. HamiltonYes. Clearly, the ability of any regiment to recruit—and the ability of the Devon and Dorsets to get the support that they enjoy in their part of the country—will be taken into account in any reorganisation that we consider.
§ Mr. ThorneIn considering that matter, will my hon. Friend ensure that he does not overlook the claims of the Household Division or the Gurkhas? This year the brigade of Gurkhas celebrated 175 years of service to the British Crown and in the last war they raised 250,000 troops. If we overlooked them, I am sure that the British public would never forgive us.
§ Mr. HamiltonI am well aware of the concern and respect that hon. Members have for the Gurkhas and the Household Division. We shall take that into account when we reconsider the shape that the Army should take in the future.