HC Deb 25 January 1966 vol 723 cc14-5W
Captain Kerby

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the estimated annual cost of the Army Volunteer Reserve for the year 1969–70;

(2) what is the estimated annual cost for 1969–70 for the running of Army Volunteer Reserve centres, provision of bounties for the Army Volunteer Reserve, the cost of pay and travel allowances for the Reserve during its camp, cost of pay during out-of-camp training, and cost of civilian staff attached to headquarters.

(3) what is the estimated annual cost for 1969–70 for the provision of all types of equipment for the Army Volunteer Reserve.

(4) if he will provide detailed figures to illustrate where the proposed £20 million annual saving will be achieved as between the cost of the Territorial Army and the Army Volunteer Reserve.

(5) how many members of the Regular Army are attached to the Territorial

ESTIMATED COSTS IN 1969–70
Item Territorial Army and Army Emergency Reserve Army Volunteer Reserve Saving
£m £m £m
Bounties 3.4 3.6 0.2 increase
Training (pay, travel, etc.) at camp 4.0 1.5 2.5
Training (pay, travel, etc.) out of camp 6.4 2.4 4.0
Cost of running Centres 8.9 1.7 7.2
Civilian employees (other than those with units and HQs of T&AFAs) 4.3 2.0 2.3
Equipment 5.1 3.5 1.6
HQs of T & AFAs (or equivalent) 1.1 0.1 1.0
Totals 33.2 14.8 (a) 18.4
Add estimated saving on revised rank structure of Regular Army, on civilian employees in the Command structure (b) 2.0
20.4
Subtract estimated extra cost of administering the Army Cadet Force and of recruiting for the Regular Army 0.4
Total net saving (c) £m 20.0
Notes:
(a) This estimate is based on the assumption that the Army Volunteer Reserve will be recruited 10 80% of establishment.
(b)The figures of £33.2m and £14.8m do not include the cost of Regular permanent staff. There are about 3,000 of these at present, of whom about half would be retained under the reorganisation. Whether the Regular Army's manpower ceiling will be reduced to reflect the reduction in its commitment in respect of the Army Reserves has not yet been decided. No allowance has therefore been made for savings on this account, but even if the manpower ceiling remains unchanged, there will still be a considerable saving since the number of posts in the senior ranks, both of officers and of other ranks, will be reduced. This latter saving has therefore been allowed for, as have savings on civilian staff in the Regular Army static chain of command. The figure of £2m quoted is the estimated saving on these two items taken together.
(c) No allowance has been made for non-recurrent items—on the one hand for compensation for personnel made redundant by the reorganisation, and on the other for the proceeds of disposal of surplus Territorial Army accommodation.