Staffordshire Regiment (Hansard, 26 November 1991)

§ Mr. Cash
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the record of the Staffordshire Regiment.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
The Staffordshire Regiment and its predecessors have a long and honourable history. They have served with distinction in campaigns from Guadaloupe in 1759 to the recent conflict in the Gulf. Full details are available in the Army List and regimental histories.

§ Mr. Cash
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to maintain the Staffordshire regiment in its existing form.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
As part of the restructuring of the Army, the Staffordshire Regiment will amalgamate with the Cheshire Regiment in 1993. I am, however, confident that the traditions, identity and loyalties of both the Staffordshire Regiment and the Cheshire Regiment will be successfully carried forward into the new regiment.

§ Mr. Cash
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what are the Director of Infantry's current guidelines on amalgamation of regiments in respect of the relative priority for amalgamation of those regiments which have already been amalgamated since 1945 and those which have not;
(2) if he will list the order of preference for amalgamation submitted by the Cheshire regiment to the Army board.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
The detailed basis on which the Army board came to its decisions about regimental amalgamations is an internal matter. The board took account of all relevant factors.