§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many centres are to be opened for the issue of uniforms and equipment to Regular Army recruits; where they are to be located; what arrangements are to be made for recruits to report to the centres on a regular basis; what would be the wartime role of those concerned; how many men are enrolled; and what is estimated to be the annual cost of the change.
§ Mr. HayhoeThe new individual reinforcement plan will involve 21 kit-issuing centres at the following locations:
- Edinburgh
- Newcastle
- York
- Leeds
- Nottingham
- Grantham
- Cambridge
- Colchester
- Woolwich
- Pirbright (Woking)
- Chatham
- Winchester
- Taunton
- Bath
- Blandford
- Crickhowell (Powys)
- Chepstow
- Nuneaton
- Shrewsbury
- Preston
- Chester.
These centres will be open for three weeks in. November 1980 in order to issue clothing and equipment for retention at home by Regular reservists. In addition to the kit issuing centres there will be well over 300 annual report centres, which will be located all over the country at locations which will include Regular Army 277W and Territorial Army units and sub-units Regular reservists will be told to report to a nominated centre on one day each year for briefing and for kit checks and to have Service documents updated. Some refresher training may also take place. The scheme will initially involve about 50,000 reservists, whose role on mobilisation would be to help bring Regular and Territorial Army units up to their wartime strength. The annual cost of the scheme will be about £5 million.