HC Deb 13 November 1991 vol 198 cc610-3W
Mr. Home Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State For Defence if he will list the artillery and armoured regiments which have recognised links with geographical areas of the United Kingdom, giving the area concerned; and if he will make a statement on the effect of his plans for the Army on each of these regiments.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

Current regional links and recruiting areas for Royal Armoured Corps and Royal Artillery regiments are listed in the table below, together with any effects of restructuring on those regiments. We will ensure that the new Army structure covers those regional areas currently covered by units to be disbanded or amalgamated. Timings should be broadly as shown, although there may have to be some adjustment to later dates as detailed plans take shape.

Regiment/Unit Regional links/Recruiting areas Changes following restructuring
16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers Staffordshire, Wolverhampton To amalgamate with the 17th/21st Lancers in 1993
17th/21st Lancers South Humberside, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire To amalgamate with the 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers in 1993
1st Royal Tank Regiment Leeds, Halifax, Wakefield, Manchester, Merseyside To amalgamate with 4th Royal Tank Regiment in 1993
2nd Royal Tank Regiment Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, London To amalgamate with 3rd Royal Tank Regiment in mid 1992
3rd Royal Tank Regiment Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset To amalgamate with 2nd Royal Tank Regiment in mid 1992
4th Royal Tank Regiment Scotland To amalgamate with 1st Royal Tank Regiment in 1993
1st Field Regiment Royal Horse Artillery South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire No change
3rd Field Regiment Royal Horse Artillery Northumberland and northern half of Tyne and Wear No change
7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire No change
2nd Field Regiment Royal Artillery Greater Manchester To be disbanded 1994
4th Field Regiment Royal Artillery North Yorkshire, Cleveland, Durham, southern half of Tyne and Wear No change
19th Field Regiment Royal Artillery Fife, Grampian, Highlands, Western Isles, Tayside No change
26th Field Regiment Royal Artillery Sussex, Surrey and South-West London No change
27th Field Regiment Royal Artillery Berkshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Dorset and South Wiltshire To be disbanded early 1993
29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery Somerset, Devon, Cornwall No change
40th Field Regiment Royal Artillery Lothian, Borders, Dumfries and Galloway No change
45th Field Regiment Royal Artillery West Yorkshire and southern North Yorkshire To be disbanded 1993
47th Field Regiment Royal Artillery Leicestershire, Derbyshire To be redesignated as 47 AD Regiment in 1993
49th Field Regiment Royal Artillery Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Hertfordshire To be disbanded 1992
5th Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery Northern Wiltshire, Avon, Gloucestershire No change
32nd Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery Cheshire and Merseyside No change
39th Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Midlands, Warwickshire, Hereford and Worcester No change
12th Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery Cumbria, Iancashire No change
16th Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery Strathclyde and Central No change
22nd Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery Wales No change

Regiment/Unit Regional links/Recruiting areas Changes following restructuring
50th Missile Regiment Royal Artillery Lincolnshire, Humberside To be disbanded early 1993
94th Locating Regiment Royal Artillery Kent To be disbanded 1993