§ 3. Mr. FabricantTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to amalgamate or disband any midlands infantry regiments.
§ The Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Mr. Jeremy Hanley)We have no plans to amalgamate or disband any infantry battalions beyond those already announced.
§ Mr. FabricantI thank my hon. Friend for his reply. He will know that the Staffordshire Regiment was only recently reprieved from amalgamation with the Cheshires. Can he give an unequivocable assurance to the people of Lichfield and Staffordshire as a whole that there are no plans to amalgamate or disband that important regiment, now or in the future?
§ Mr. HanleyI can give both an unequivocable and an unequivocal reply. As my hon. Friend said, the amalgamation of the Staffordshire Regiment with the Cheshire Regiment was cancelled in February, when my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State decided to revise his plans for the future size of the Army because of extra commitments in Northern Ireland and for the United Nations.