§ Sir T. Beamishasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) for what reasons he decided not to recruit the proposed Army Volunteer Reserve to its establishment of 50,000, as proposed in his statement to the House on 29th July, 1965;
(2) whether his statement to the House on 29th July, 1965, that the reorganisation of the Reserve Forces would result in an annual saving of £20 million after 1969, was based on the assumption that the Army Volunteer Reserve would be recruited to only 80 per cent. of its establishment figure.
§ Mr. ReynoldsThere is no question of Army Volunteer Reserve units not being allowed to recruit up to their full establishments. For planning purposes it is assumed, as it was when the statement was made last July, that the Reserve as a whole is likely to achieve a recruited strength of 80 per cent. of establishment. The annual saving of £20 million was calculated on this assumption.