HL Deb 11 May 1967 vol 282 cc1611-3

4.11 p.m.

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, with your Lordships' permission I should like to repeat another statement which is being made in another place by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence: it concerns the reorganisation of the Infantry. The Statement is as follows:

"As the White Paper on Defence explained, a wide-ranging examination of the long-term structure of the Army is being carried out. The Government has already taken decisions about the organisation of the Infantry. Since we must now consult a wider circle about putting these decisions into effect, I thought it right to inform the House about them now.

"The Infantry of the Line is at present grouped into thirteen Brigades or Large Regiments and the Parachute Regiment. Each contains either three or four battalions. It has become clear that the present groupings are too small to meet the needs of the future.

"Accordingly, the Infantry of the Line, apart from the Parachute Regiment, will be organised into five new larger groupings, to be known as 'Divisions', each being formed by amalgamating either two or three Brigades or Large Regiments. The names of the new Divisions will be as follows:

  • The Queen's Division, which will consist of
  • The Queen's Regiment,
  • The Fusilier Brigade,
  • The Royal Anglian Regiment;
  • The King's Division, which will consist of
  • The Lancastrian Brigade,
  • The Yorkshire Brigade,
  • The North Irish Brigade;
  • The Prince of Wales's Division, which will consist of
  • The Wessex Brigade,
  • The Mercian Brigade,
  • The Welsh Brigade;
  • The Scottish Division, which will consist of
  • The Lowland Brigade,
  • The Highland Brigade;
  • The Light Division, which will consist of
  • The Light Infantry Brigade,
  • The Royal Green Jackets;
  • The Brigade of Guards also will become a Division.

"These large groupings will allow for contraction, or for expansion, with the least possible difficulty. In the new organisation it will be easier to smooth out inequalities in manpower as between one battalion and another. The reorganisation will make for efficency in recruit training and economy.

"The new organisation will be introduced by planned stages and will be complete by the middle of 1969.

"The aim is to meet the needs of the future while preserving the best features of the regimental system.

"I have arranged for the details of the reorganisation to be available in the Library and they will also be published in the OFFICIAL REPORT."

My Lords, that is the end of the Statement.

Following are the details of the reorganisation referred to by Lord Chalfont: