§ 13. Mr. Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield)What plans he has for the modernisation of the Territorial Army. [41308]
§ The Minister for the Armed Forces (Dr. John Reid)The strategic defence review has examined all aspects of our armed forces, including the Territorial Army. Although no final decisions have been taken, I assure the House that we will continue to need a Territorial Army that is structured for all the roles that we can plausibly foresee. Our aim is a Territorial Army that is relevant and capable, ready to serve Britain and able to meet the tasks that we set it.
§ Mr. SheermanIs my hon. Friend aware that there is widespread support for the strategic review, because what was wanted was a careful, not rushed, appraisal of this country's real needs into the next century and that is what the Government are doing? Does he further agree that the way in which the Territorial Army will survive is by being modernised for that new role? It is not a pre-cold war or cold war situation, but a new situation, with the British Army and British armed forces taking on a different 593 strategic role. Does he also agree that part of that role involves the training of competent young men and women?
§ Dr. ReidYes. We said that the strategic defence review would be foreign-policy-led, and it has been. We said that the service chiefs would be involved from day one and they have been. We said that every element of our forces would be subjected to scrutiny in the light of the new security context and they have been—every element, every force, regular and reserve, has been subjected to scrutiny. When the subject of the Territorial Army comes up, we should remember that it is the only section of the Army that has the freedom to express its views publicly and to lobby publicly. Although that does not in any way diminish our respect for it, we should remember that exactly the same level of scrutiny has been applied to the regular Army, to the Navy and to the Air Force. The purpose behind that scrutiny is to ensure that all services, regular and reserve, are usable, relevant and modern in the context of our security analysis.
§ Mr. Keith Simpson (Mid-Norfolk)Following the logic of the answer to the question on the modernisation of the Territorial Army, and the logic of the answers to other questions, I find that Ministers have placed great emphasis on the fact that this is a foreign-policy-led defence review. Will the Minister now finally publish what that foreign policy baseline is, or perhaps it has been lost, like so many other things to do with the Foreign Office?
§ Dr. ReidThe only thing that has been lost is the establishment figure for the armed forces, which occurred under the previous Government: between 5,500 and 7,500 soldiers in the Army were lost. That has been the inheritance of this Government. Our task is to turn that around, to stop the increase in the shortfall and to begin to get the Army, in particular, back to the level that it should have been for many years. On the foreign-policy baseline, the hon. Gentleman knows that that has been outlined time and again, not least by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, in speeches, interviews and articles.