§ Mr. CashTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has determined which existing corps and functions should be included in the new Adjutant General's Corps; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonI can confirm that my right hon. Friend has decided that the Adjutant General's Corps should include the following existing Corps, which will retain their individual cap badges: 137W
- Corps of Royal Military Police
- Military Provost Staff Corps
- Royal Army Educational Corps
- Army Legal Corps
The Adjutant General's Corps will also include a new Corps, covering various administrative functions, whose title has not yet been determined. This new Corps will be responsible for the functions currently undertaken by the Royal Army Pay Corps, the staff clerk functions undertaken by the Royal Army Ordnance Corps and the Women's Royal Army Corps, and all other regimental clerks. Those members of the WRAC who do not elect to join existing Corps under our plans for the wider employment of women will also become members of this new Corps.
The Royal Army Chaplains' Department will not form part of the AG Corps, but will be closely associated with it and supported administratively by the Corps.
The formation of a single Adjutant General's Corps will offer a firm basis for rationalisation of the Army's personnel services and contribute to the reductions being sought in the support area following my right hon. Friend's statement on 25 July concerning "Options for Change".