§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many Regular infantry and parachute battalions are at present based in the United Kingdom; how many of them are in United Kingdom Mobile Force and United Kingdom JATFOR; what reduction in their number will take place as a result of the proposed reduction of the United Kingdom's specialised reinforcement forces for NATO to an air portable brigade; and what will be the future role and headquarters organisation of the battalions released from the specialised reinforcement rôle.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownThere are 27 Regular infantry and two Regular parachute battalions at present stationed in the United Kingdom. Of these, nine Regular infantry battalions are in the United Kingdom Mobile Force, and two parachute battalions are in the UKJATFOR.
The proposed reduction in the United Kingdom's specialised reinforcement forces to NATO will not result in any 345W change to the number of Regular infantry and parachute battalions stationed in the United Kingdom.
Those battalions which no longer form part of our specialised reinforcement forces will be allocated roles either as reinforcements to BAOR or alternatively as home defence forces. Their organisation will be comparable to those battalions forming part of our specialist reinforcement forces and they will be placed under command of the district headquarters in which they are located.