§ 21. Mr. Desmond Swayne. (New Forest, West)What plans he has to increase the United Kingdom forces serving in the Balkans. [117900]
§ The Minister for the Armed Forces (Mr. John Spellar)We believe that flexibility and capability are the keys to successful operations in the Balkans. We keep our operational commitments under constant review and have the flexibility to adjust our commitment to match the security situation.
We have agreed to deploy to Kosovo a Phoenix battery of some 170 personnel to operate unmanned aerial surveillance drones, and two additional Gazelle helicopters equipped with specialist surveillance equipment to reinforce our contribution to KFOR.
§ Mr. SwayneOn the very question of flexibility and the need to maintain flexibility, will the Minister reflect on the evidence produced last year that, in the first nine months of last year, 40 per cent. of the reservists supporting our forces in the Balkans theatre were infantrymen? As the decision in the strategic defence review was to cut the fighting capability of the infantry reserves by half, will he now review that decision in light of the need to maintain the flexibility to which he referred?
§ Mr. SpellarAs I have told the hon. Gentleman previously, we hope that a higher percentage of the reserve forces in Kosovo will come from the specialist arms. That reflects shortages elsewhere in the availability of those groups and the economic pressures on some of them. I pay considerable tribute to those not just in Kosovo, but in Bosnia who are engaged on the infantry side. I met some of them a couple of months ago when I was there. They perform an excellent job, which is well appreciated by their counterparts in the regular forces, and they thoroughly enjoy doing it.
On the overall picture for the reserve forces, we have to consider all the arguments that we gave when we restructured the Territorial Army, in particular, and examine where the priorities lie. Home defence is no longer the reserve forces' key priority. As the hon. Gentleman rightly identified, their priority is to form part 692 of the overall force and to play their part in the more expeditionary nature of our forces. They are doing that well, but that does not undermine in any way the restructuring and reshaping of the Territorial forces.
§ Mr. Paul Keetch. (Hereford)Given that the Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps, which was in control of Kosovo until recently, has now been replaced by the Eurocorps, will the Minister join me in congratulating ARRC on the excellent role that it performed in Kosovo, which I saw when I was there a few weeks ago? How is the transfer to Eurocorps going, and does the Minister agree that the role played by Eurocorps will demonstrate the ability of European forces to work together in co-operation, without American support being necessary?
§ Mr. SpellarI join the hon. Gentleman—and, I am sure, the whole House—in paying tribute to the role played by the Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps under British leadership, not only in the immediate past, but during the Kosovo engagement. I also welcome the introduction of Eurocorps; the transition is working well. The important message is that it is not only ARRC that is capable of undertaking such tasks. That is welcome, because it reduces the pressure on our armed forces. It also helps to reinforce the main argument that we have advanced in the context of the European security and defence identity, which is the importance of the defence capability initiative in ensuring that European forces can undertake such roles. Demonstrating their ability to do so will be critical in maintaining the long-term stability of the alliance.