Army (Hansard, 21 June 1994)

§ 9. Mr. Enright
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to change the size of the British Army.

§ Mr. Rifkind
I intend to maintain and, where possible, enhance the planned fighting strength of the British Army.

§ Mr. Enright
Does the Secretary of State recall that the Select Committee on Defence described as scandalous the amount of support that existed for the Challenger 1 tank fleet? Will the defence costs study make that even worse?

§ Mr. Rifkind
On the contrary—one purpose of the defence costs study is to ensure that we have the resources available so that the armoured strength of the Army, as well as the other services, can be accommodated in a proper and effective way, thereby enhancing the Army's fighting strength.

§ Mr. Butcher
Does my right hon. and learned Friend feel that the political situation in eastern and central Europe is more or less stable than it was five years ago? If he shares my suspicion that there are trends in eastern and central Europe which may ultimately be dangerous to western Europe, what implications does he believe that will have for the size of the British Army in the future?

§ Mr. Rifkind
Five years ago, there were several million Warsaw pact soldiers in the centre of Germany, just 48 hours away from the low countries and the English channel. Today, Russian troops are a thousand miles further east and the Warsaw pact no longer exists. Therefore, although my hon. Friend is right to remind us of the great instability, uncertainty and fragmentation in Europe, I believe that, overall, the threat to the peace of Europe is considerably less than it was five years ago.

§ Mr. Macdonald
Will the Secretary of State confirm the value to the royal artillery and the economy of the Western Isles of the testing and training range at Balivanish in the Hebrides? Will he confirm that if he is seeking savings in the operation of that range, they can be found by contracting out work to civilian labour, while retaining the base and its contribution to the island economy?

§ Mr. Rifkind
As the hon. Gentleman is aware, those matters are currently under review. I am acutely conscious of the contribution that the range makes to the local economy in Uist and Benbecula and I understand the hon. Gentleman's concern. We hope to bring to an end as soon as possible the uncertainty affecting the range and other comparable facilities.

§ Mr. Garnier
How do our plans for the British Army compare with those of the French Government for their army?

§ Mr. Rifkind
I believe that in terms of their fighting strength the armies are comparable. The French army has a large conscript element, so its manpower is considerably greater than that of the British Army, which is entirely professional. I believe that the British Army's fighting capability remains, man for man, the best in the world.