HC Deb 20 April 1993 vol 223 cc176-7
12. Mr. Cyril D. Townsend

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to bring together the legal departments of the three services.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

There are no such plans at present.

Mr. Townsend

I hope that my right hon. Friend might have a look at the matter. Is he aware that the numbers involved are small these days? After a serious cut in the number of regiments, squadrons and ships, should not we look for savings in the tail of the defence services?

Mr. Hamilton

Yes. Since my hon. Friend raised the matter, I have had a look at it. As he said, the only area in which an amalgamation could be effected would be between the Army and RAF legal departments, which employ 50 and 25 people respectively. That possibility has been considered, but it has been found that no appreciable savings could be made. Economies of scale can be achieved from the incorporation of the Army legal department in the Adjutant General's Corps.

Mr. Dalyell

How come that the Ministry of Defence apparently cannot make savings when the Lord Chancellor is asking the rest of legal aid to do so?

Mr. Hamilton

The savings that we seek are obviously in terms of reducing overheads. There are no overheads to be reduced in the small legal departments. As I have said already, the Army legal department has been incorporated in the Adjutant General's Corps. That will give all the advantages of savings in overheads.

As I am sure that the hon. Gentleman knows, the Lord Chancellor was worried about the level of legal aid paid, which is a rather different question altogether.