Mobile Forces (Hansard, 17 July 1990)

§ 7. Mr. David Nicholson
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what emphasis his Department places on mobile forces.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
As last week's summit declaration made clear, NATO forces will in future need to be highly mobile and versatile. We are currently examining options for change in our force structures to reflect new circumstances.

§ Mr. Nicholson
With reference to mobile forces, is my hon. Friend aware that I strongly support the point made a moment ago by my hon. Friend the Member for Ilford, South (Mr. Thorne) about the role of the Gurkhas? Will my hon. Friend take this opportunity to say something about developments in NATO's strategy in view of the exciting and reassuring developments in eastern Europe, and about the possibility of a NATO role out of area?

§ Mr. Hamilton
Yes, indeed. One of the advantages of the versatility and mobility alluded to is that they will enable the forces to be dual-hatted and play a role out of area as well as a reinforcement role in NATO.

§ Mr. Graham
The Minister mentioned versatility and mobility, but was it in order for a Royal Navy helicopter to be deployed at a Tory party event in my constituency, since, as has been admitted by the local Tory party, it was a fund-raising event for the Tories? Is that the new role for our military helicopters—to be used to prop up the Tories' fund-raising effort to try to win the next general election?

§ Mr. Hamilton
rose—[Interruption.]

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. I think the question was about mobile forces.

§ Mr. Hamilton
In as much as the supplementary question refers to mobility, I have answered the hon. Gentleman's question. As he well knows, that occasion was not laid on solely for the benefit of the Tory party. Serious sums of money were raised for other charities—[Interruption.]

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. The House must listen to the Minister's reply.

§ Mr. Hamilton
Serious sums of money were raised for other charities, but if it had been known that it was a Tory event, the contribution from the Royal Navy would not have been made.

§ Mr. Conway
When my hon. Friend has recovered from that formidable onslaught, will he give his attention to the role of the Territorial Army in the mobile forces and say whether in the light of developments, he believes that in future reservists and Territorial Army personnel will be able to play an even larger part in our mobile and specialist forces?

§ Mr. Hamilton
The Territorials and the reserves will certainly have an important role in terms of reinforcement of our role in NATO. We are considering that carefully under "Options for Change".