HC Deb 07 March 1966 vol 725 cc420-2W
Mr. Crawshaw

asked the Secretary of State for Defence in what circumstances the Army Volunteer Reserve will be called out.

Mr. Reynolds

The Army Volunteer Reserve would only be called out if major military operations were in progress or appeared to be imminent and when a serious situation affecting vital national interests had arisen. Apart from Special Army Volunteer Reservists holding an Ever Ready liability, no member of the Army Volunteer Reserve would be called out until full use had been made of Section A of the Regular Reserve, i.e. until all suitable members in the numbers and categories required had been called out.

Mr. Crawshaw

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Army Volunteer Reserve will be used outside Europe.

Mr. Reynolds

Yes, if a sufficiently serious situation arose; but the resources of two other categories of the Reserve could first be employed. The Special Army Volunteer Reserve (Ever Readies) will be available to be called out at any time, and full use would be made of Section A of the Regular Reserve before the Army Volunteer Reserve were called on.

While it is impossible to forecast the precise development of a hypothetical future situation the following is the most likely sequence of events and that on which current planning is based.

Such operations would initially be conducted by the Regular Army, reinforced as necessary by Regular units from the Strategic Reserve or from other theatres; these Regular units in turn might be reinforced from the Ever Readies. If the operations were to develop to a point beyond the resources of the Regular Army as thus reinforced, then Section A of the Regular Reserve would be called on to provide individual reinforcements in the ranks and trades required. Only if both these reserves were insufficient would the Army Volunteer Reserve be drawn on, and then only to the extent required.

The Army Volunteer Reserve would thus, in this situation, be in the nature of a third-line reserve, to be called upon only if the Regular Army, reinforced by Ever Readies and by Section A of the Regular Reserve, were unable to deal with the situation.

Mr. Crawshaw

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he will start recruiting for the Army Volunteer Reserve.

Mr. Reynolds

Formal recruitment will not start until the Reserve Forces Bill becomes law, but members of the Territorial Army and of the Army Emergency Reserve will be invited to give an indication of their intentions during the coming camping season which starts in April.

Mr. Crawshaw

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when drill halls and base units for the Army Volunteer Reserve will be designated.

Mr. Reynolds

All the base units and practically all the drill halls have already been selected and units are being informed.

Mr. Crawshaw

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements he is making to inform members of the Territorial Army of the vacancies open to them in the Army Volunteer Reserve and home defence untis.

Mr. Reynolds

Members of the Territorial Army and of the Army Emergency Reserve will be informed by their commanding officers of units suitable for them to join, and they will be asked to volunteer for units, giving alternative choices. Selection boards will later fill establishments from the applicants.

Mr. Crawshaw

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the highest rank open to volunteers in the Army Volunteer Reserve and the home defence force.

Mr. Reynolds

There will be openings for promotion to colonel in each force.