HC Deb 06 December 1974 vol 882 cc643-4W
Mr. Younger

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the present number of units in TAVR II which have a role in NATO and United Kingdom land forces respectively.

Mr. Robert C. Brown

TAVR I, II and III became TAVR Group A in 1969.

There are 57 major units and 55 minor units of TAVR Group A earmarked for assignment to 1 (BR) Corps and NATO Headquarters and a further seven major units and 25 minor units of TAVR Group A which reinforce SACEUR'S strategic reserve—United Kingdom Mobile Force—which is also earmarked for NATO. The remainder of the T&AVR Group A units in United Kingdom land forces, some 27 major units, are available for home defence.

Mr. Younger

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the present strength of the TAVR III in each area of the country; and what percentage this represents of the total establishment in each case;

(2) what is the present strength of the TAVR II in each area of the country; and what percentage this represents of the total establishment in each case.

Mr. Robert C. Brown

The Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve was reorganised in 1969 into TAVR Groups A and B. TAVR Group A subsumed TAVR I, II and III.

The strength of TAVR Group A in each district, numerically and as a percentage of the establishment, in each case is:

Strength Percentage of Establishment
Scotland 6,381 77.23
North-East District 7,814 80.65
North-West District 4,575 80.61
North Midland District 4,229 78.02
Wales 3,080 80.00
East District 3,088 78.39
South-East District 1,614 74.54
South-West District 2,899 76.87
London District 6,745 73.44
Northern Ireland 2,693 68.61

Sponsored units in Group A, which are not included in the above figures since they are recruited on a national basis and cannot be related to individual districts, have a strength of 6,294, 65.3 per cent. of their establishment.