Guards Regiments (Hansard, 14 October 1991)

§ Sir Nicholas Bonsor
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he has for the future of the Tower Guard.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
The future of the Tower Guard will be kept under review as the detailed plans for the restructuring of the Army are developed.

§ Mr. John Browne
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) at what level the dual public duties/regular infantry roles of the Foot Guards will be maintained;
(2) if he will list the changes he proposes in the public duties of the Household Division as a result of his recently announced manpower reductions.

§ Sir Nicholas Bonsor
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the duties of which the Guards regiments will be relieved following the reduction in strength of the Grenadier, Coldstream and Scots Guards.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
The Foot Guards will continue to carry out a full range of infantry roles, including the public duties tasks. After restructuring there will be five battalions of Foot Guards, three of which will normally be based in the London area at any one time. The latter may receive manpower increments to facilitate the discharge of public duties.
The Life Guards and the Blues and Royals will continue to form a Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment for public duties and will also form a merged armoured reconnaissance regiment. The public duties of the Household Division will be kept under review as the detailed plans for the implementation of the Army restructuring are developed.

§ Mr. John Browne
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the contribution 61W made by cutting three battalions of the Foot Guards and an armoured regiment of the Household Cavalry to improving the quality and cost-effectiveness of the British Army.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 23 July and to "Britain's Army for the 90s" (Cm. 1595). The Government remain confident that the Army which emerges from the changes now under way will be one fit to meet the challenges of the next century.

§ Mr. John Browne
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the cost of maintaining(a) three battalion strength equivalents of the RAF Regiment and (b) three battalions of Foot Guards; and what are the restrictions on posting of each type of unit.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
The information requested on costs is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only with disproportionate effort.
Individual units of both the Foot Guards and the RAF Regiment will continue to undertake the roles for which they are specifically designed. For the Foot Guards this means the full range of infantry roles, along with public duties. For the RAF Regiment this means the provision of defensive support to air operations.

§ Sir David Price
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards and the Scots Guards, respectively, were last reduced to one active battalion each.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
Each of these regiments has had an active 2nd battalion since the late 17th century; with the exception of the Scots Guards whose 2nd battalion reduced to a representative company in April 1971 before being reformed as a full battalion in January 1972.