§ 80. Mr. Bill WalkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures his Department is taking to keep people in the reserve forces.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThere are a number of initiatives in train aimed at promoting retention within the reserve forces. Internal measures concentrate principally on improving the quality and interest of training, streamlining the dissemination of information to volunteers, review of a whole range of terms and conditions of service and rationalisation of the equipment programme. In the latter context, units will be re-equipped in strict accordance with role, whether they be regular or volunteer. In addition. recognising the need to harness the support of employers and family, we launched last year the volunteer reserve forces campaign, aimed at easing external pressures on volunteers by setting out in the clearest possible terms the vital role the reserve forces would be expected to play and, perhaps most importantly, highlighting the relevance of TA training to civilian life and thus drawing the attention of employers to how they can benefit from their employees in reserve forces activities.