HC Deb 14 November 1977 vol 939 cc82-3W
Rear-Admiral Morgan-Giles

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what factors he took into consideration before deciding to withdraw Army Youth Teams; and whether he will reconsider this decision, in view of the valuable work done by them in assistance to youth clubs in particular and young people in general.

Mr. Robert C. Brown

The decision to disband the Army Youth Teams was taken as part of a larger package of measures intended to reduce defence recruiting expenditure and to switch resources to areas of greater military priority. It was based on consideration of these factors only. Regrettable as the loss of the teams' services to young people is, it does not justify re-examination of the decision to disband the teams, since the deployment of military personnel and funds must be governed by defence needs.