HC Deb 26 January 2004 vol 417 cc11-3
10. Mr. Andrew Mitchell(Con) (Sutton Coldfield)

What the current strength is of the Territorial Army. [150162]

12. Gregory Barker(Con) (Bexhill and Battle)

What the current strength of the Territorial Army is; and what it was in January 1997. [150164]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin)

The strength of the Territorial Army on 1 December 2003, the most recent date for which we have figures, was 37,750, which includes 3,920 mobilised reservists but excludes 390 TA officers currently serving in the full-time reserve service. I regret that I am unable to provide comparable figures for 1 January 1997, but I can for 1 July that year. The strength of the TA on that date was 55,760, which includes 620 mobilised reservists. There were no TA officers on full-time reserve service on that date.

Mr. Mitchell

I thank the Minister for his response, which shows how significantly the manpower strength of the Territorial Army has declined since 1997. Given that the strategic defence review in 1998 spoke of a manpower target of 45,000, and given the increased versatility required of our Territorial Army forces following events that have taken place in the meantime, can he tell us how long it will be before that shortfall of 7,000 is made up?

Mr. Caplin

I know that the hon. Gentleman served with the Royal Tank Regiment, and has considerable knowledge of these affairs. We are, of course, busy recruiting to the TA as often as possible. Recruitment is a constant process throughout the year, and the hon. Gentleman will know that it is conducted geographically by local TA centres. I am confident that in following the strategy set out in the strategic defence review we are going in the right direction.

Gregory Barker

Does the Minister recognise, in the light of the campaign in Iraq last year, that the Government will continue to undermine morale and retention in Territorial Army units unless they ensure that when the TA is deployed on active service its units are not cannibalised as a matter of course and, crucially, that both officers and NCOs are given credible operational roles, preferably with their own soldiers?

Mr. Caplin

First, I congratulate the hon. Gentleman, who has also served with the TA, on completing the armed forces parliamentary scheme. The TA continuous attitude survey is due to report shortly, and it will provide an opportunity to examine issues raised by him and those raised by the various lessons learned documents from Operation Telic and Operation Fresco.

Mr. Tony McWalter(Lab/Co-op) (Hemel Hempstead)

As my hon. Friend has indicated that he is looking for TA recruits, will he do something about the areas of the country from which TA units were removed in the earlier review? In particular, the matter caused grave concern in my constituency because the nearest unit is in Hertford, which is an impossible distance away, so young people in my area are not being given the chance to join the TA.

Mr. Caplin

I was going to offer my hon. Friend the chance to volunteer and participate in TA activity, which is something I am sure he has done. Ensuring that the TA has the right footprint is an important part of our work, and we will continue to examine the estate on every possible occasion.

Mr. Keith Simpson(Con) (Mid-Norfolk)

I am sure that the whole House appreciates the dedication, professionalism and bravery that the TA has shown and continues to show in operations in Iraq. The Government's defence White Paper states that the TA has become an integral part of the regular armed forces and that it will be increasingly used in future operations. My hon. Friend the Member for New Forest, West (Mr. Swayne) and others who have served in the TA have highlighted a recent survey of TA personnel who have been sent to the Gulf, which found that 80 per cent. of them do not expect their employer to support any future deployment, that 63 per cent. of medical and technical staff are thinking of resigning from the TA and that 73 per cent. of them think that the NHS has lost vital skills because of the deployment. The problem will obviously increase given the Government's defence White Paper. What practical measures are Ministers taking to the square the circle between the desire to use the TA more and employers' increasing reluctance to release staff?

Mr. Caplin

I agree with the hon. Gentleman that our reserves have served with distinction in Iraq, at home, and in other areas of the world such as the Balkans in the past 12 months and before that. I am not sure whether he really wants me to discuss Army medical services, because if I do I will delve into events during the 1992 to 1997 Parliament, which may embarrass Conservative Front Benchers. We are heavily engaged with employers through SaBRE, the supporting Britain's reservists and employers campaign, with which he is familiar. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I continue to discuss the matter with national employers such as the NHS, regional employers, with whom we engage through the reserve forces and cadets associations, and other small and medium-sized businesses.