North Irish Horse Squadron (Hansard, 12 November 1998)

§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Gilbert)
My Lords, an announcement on the future of the Territorial Army will be made very shortly.

§ Lord Holme of Cheltenham
My Lords, I am delighted to have that Answer from the Minister. However, in making a decision on the matter about which I was inquiring, I hope that he will bear certain issues in mind. Is he aware, for instance, that the North Irish Horse Squadron is the only cavalry unit in the whole island of Ireland? Is he further aware that the percentage of Roman Catholics serving in the squadron is twice that in relation to the RUC; that the regiment has a history of prowess of which many people in Ireland, north and south, are very proud; and that in the impoverished areas in which it recruits it provides a useful focus for the young men as regards achievement in their lives? I am sure the Minister is aware that their attendance at annual camp is exceptionally high. Therefore, when the decision is made I hope that those matters will weigh favourably, if not conclusively, in the balance.

§ Lord Gilbert
My Lords, I am obliged to the noble Lord for the encomium he has just delivered. I assure him that all the considerations he raised have been borne in mind. I hope that he will not be disappointed in the announcement when it is made.

§ Lord Mayhew of Twysden
My Lords, I accept that the noble Lord cannot anticipate the outcome of the overall review, but will Ministers be guided by the important fact already alluded to—that the regiment recruits right across the community and that its good standard of recruitment has been achieved notwithstanding the difficulties existing in Northern Ireland which all territorial units experience? If its distinguished history were to come to an end, what the planners call the "yeomanry" or the "reconnaissance footprint" would miss out Northern Ireland altogether.

§ Lord Gilbert
My Lords, once again, I am happy to endorse all the complimentary comments made about the unit. I hope to set your Lordships' minds at rest before long.

§ Lord Chalfont
My Lords, in the light of the two previous questions, the Minister will agree that we are 838 talking not only about cavalry regiments but this element of the Royal Armoured Corps (the armoured and reconnaissance arm of the British Army) which is the only one left in the Province? If that is removed there will be no presence of reconnaissance or armoured units in Northern Ireland?

§ Lord Gilbert
My Lords, I take on board the point that the noble Lord makes. I am even more full of admiration for the unit considering the strength of the lobbying that it has managed to assemble in your Lordships' House.

§ Lord Dean of Beswick
My Lords, I lived and grew up in a part of Manchester where there was a large number of Irish people from both north and south, many of whom served in both world wars to fight for peace. Does the Minister agree that bearing in mind their previous history and what they did for this country and the symbolic gesture which recently took place in Ireland and which was attended by Her Majesty the Queen, it is of paramount importance to keep these servicemen in the forces?

§ Lord Gilbert
My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend. All noble Lords are sensible of the contribution made to the allied side in two world wars. My noble friend is right to draw attention to and reinforce the significance of what took place yesterday in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen and the President of Ireland.

The Earl of Carlisle
My Lords, will the Minister bear in mind the expanding role of armoured car regiments, not least the need to form a nuclear, biological and chemical armoured car regiment? Will he bear that in mind in considering the future of the North Irish Horse Squadron, in particular when more yeomen will be needed to man the regular NBC armoured car regiment?

§ Lord Gilbert
My Lords, at such time as I am at liberty to disclose the Government's decisions on these matters, the noble Lord will find that we have taken into account the need for a nuclear, biological and chemical capability.

§ Lord Burnham
My Lords, your Lordships will be beginning to believe that the motto of this Government is "the House will be told very shortly". It is now four months since the SDR. Another place has had a two-day debate on the SDR and a one-day debate on the Army. It is becoming most urgent that your Lordships should have an opportunity of discussing the forces in general and the Territorial Army in particular. Can the Minister assure the House that we shall have an opportunity of hearing from the Government before the House prorogues?

Lord Gilberta
My Lords, I understand the importance which the noble Lord attaches to discussing defence matters in this House. I am not responsible for the progress of business in this House. All I would say 839 is that your Lordships seem to have been having a very happy time discussing other matters at rather greater length than I would have enjoyed myself. However, I can assure the noble Lord that I am looking forward with great relish to announcing the Government's intentions with respect to the Territorial Army and I hope that it will be very soon indeed.

§ Lord Ironside
My Lords, is the North Irish Horse Squadron still a mounted squadron? Will the Minister tell the House what is the horse establishment (which is now managed by the Defence Animal Centre) in the Army?

§ Lord Gilbert
My Lords, I do not carry at my finger tips the number of horses in the Army but I shall look into the matter and convey the results to the noble Lord as soon as I can.