§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what savings he envisages will be made through the review of conditions and allowances in the armed forces.
§ Mr. HanleyAs is made clear in the terms of reference for this independent review, set out in my answer to the hon. Member for Wimbledon (Dr. Goodson-Wickes) on 30 March,Official Report, columns 752-53, the primary purpose is not cost cutting but to ensure that we have structures appropriate to the needs of the services in the 21st century. No estimate has therefore been made of the scope for any savings but the independent review is, naturally, also required to identify the resource implications of its proposals and to seek to contribute to the reduction over the longer term of the overall resource cost of manpower.
§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what external consultancies will be assisting in the review of conditions and allowances in the armed forces.
§ Mr. HanleyA minor consultancy to advise on the scope of the independent review of service career and manpower structures and terms and conditions of service, and on the interrelationships between the different aspects of the review, has already reported. The matter of what further consultancy assistance may be required is primarily one for the review chairman, but my Department is making arrangements to ensure that such assistance can be commissioned at short notice as and when requirements are identified.