Armed Forces: Trained Personnel (Hansard, 28 March 1995)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Henley)
My Lords, there will be surpluses in the trained strengths of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force at the end of this financial year, although they will have small deficits in some 1498 specialisations and there will be overall a small deficit in the trained strength of the Army at the end of this financial year.

Lord Allenby of Megiddo
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that very honest reply. Will the Minister confirm whether, because of the reduction in manpower ceilings as a result of earlier cuts in defence spending, there are now insufficient established posts in Royal Naval ships at sea and in the Army for tasks in Northern Ireland and Bosnia which continue to lead to overstretch and frustration? What action do the Government propose to reduce that shortfall?

§ Lord Henley
My Lords, as I made clear, there are surpluses in the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force and there is a small overall deficit in the Army. I can also confirm that no unit of any of the three services currently deployed on an operational task is below strength for that particular task. However, as I made clear, there is an overall deficit of some 67 soldiers in the Army. I appreciate that that is a net figure, and the numbers are somewhat higher for soldiers than for officers, where there is a surplus rather than a deficit. Obviously, we shall take measures to combat any particular problems in recruitment and will certainly keep all measures for assisting retention under review.

§ Lord Mason of Barnsley
My Lords, can the Minister say whether there is any anticipated shortfall in the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve of officers or men?

§ Lord Henley
My Lords, I am not aware of any such shortfall. As the noble Lord will know, we announced that we shall retain the strength of the Territorial Army at roughly 59,000. That announcement was supported by all sides of the House.

§ Lord Mayhew
My Lords, will the Minister say whether there has been any change in the Government's assessment of our necessary commitments during this period? Will he give an assurance that there has been no change in our commitment in Northern Ireland?

§ Lord Henley
My Lords, the noble Lord's question goes slightly wider than the Question on the Order Paper. The noble Lord will know that an announcement was made last week that another unit was being returned home from Northern Ireland. We hope very much that as the process continues in Northern Ireland it may be possible to withdraw others. But that will depend very much on what is happening there and what the chief constable feels is necessary.

§ Lord Chalfont
My Lords, is the Minister aware that his replies will be very reassuring to those of us concerned about the strength of the Armed Forces? As regards the small shortfall which exists in the Army, can he say whether there is any regimental pattern? Press reports have suggested that some regiments, for example the Parachute Regiment, are seriously under strength. Will the Minister comment on that?

§ Lord Henley
My Lords, obviously the position varies from unit to unit. Very broadly, the shortfall is in the infantry, the Royal Armoured Corps and the Royal 1499 Artillery. In comparison, I think I can say that the Royal Engineers, Royal Logistic Corps, REME and the Adjutant General's Corps are in surplus. There will then be variations within individual infantry units. As I said, we shall certainly consider whether various different remedial measures regarding short-term enlistment of TA personnel, the payment of an enlistment bounty, or the payment of a retention bonus might help in particular cases.
I can also say that there were press reports of particularly severe levels of under-strength in the three parachute regiments. I can assure the noble Lord that those levels were not nearly so bad as was reported in the press.

§ Lord Williams of Elvel
My Lords, will the noble Lord confirm that by April there will be a 3.3 per cent. shortfall in the armoured regiments and the Household Cavalry? Will he comment on the report in theDaily Telegraph—I always regard that paper as a relatively reliable source of information—which quotes one official as saying, People are fatter. Many have no concept of how far a mile is, let alone of running it".
The article states that recruits are generally too soft for life in the forces.

§ Lord Henley
My Lords, I accept that perhaps as a personal criticism; some of us are somewhat fatter. Possibly the comment applies to Ministers in the Ministry of Defence and not to soldiers.
I cannot confirm the first figure which the noble Lord gave. The deficit that I gave regarding the Royal Armoured Corps is of the order of 1.4 per cent. I accept that it is still a deficit. As I made clear earlier in answer to a noble Lord, we are considering various remedial measures.
Obviously physical standards, in particular regarding recruits, is a matter that we shall have to look at. In future, we may have to accept lower standards and then train the recruits a little longer to take off that surplus weight.

§ Lord Ironside
My Lords, as regards providing trained officers in the Royal Navy, can my noble friend indicate how long the Royal Navy will be able to rely on the Royal Naval College at Greenwich to provide some of the academic training needed for the particular skills involved? If the college at Greenwich closes, what alternative arrangements will be made?

§ Lord Henley
My Lords, my noble friend's question is way beyond the scope of the Question on the Order Paper. However, I am sure that he will look forward to an announcement on the subject of Greenwich and Camberley which will be made shortly.

§ Lord Gisborough
My Lords, does my noble friend accept the fact that so many people now wear soft shoes that when they join the Army they damage their legs? That is a fact. Will he talk to his noble friend in the Department of Health to seek to make people aware of the damage that they do to themselves by inadequate training'?

§ Lord Henley
My Lords, I really think that what shoes individuals wear should be a matter for 1500 themselves. What my colleagues in the Department of Health think is another matter. As I made clear, I accept that physical standards are not always what we might like them to be. If we have to accept lower standards, we would obviously train those people for a little longer to get them up to our standards.

§ Viscount Allenby of Megiddo
My Lords, being aware of the soft shoe shuffle, will the Minister confirm that no studies are currently being undertaken further to reduce the strength of our Armed Forces?

§ Lord Henley
My Lords, again, that is another question. I can only repeat the commitment given by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence and my right honourable friend the Minister for the Armed Forces, that we consider it necessary to have a period of stability in the Armed Forces for the foreseeable future and that there will be no further cuts in the front line strength.