Mr. BraizierTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the Territorial Army to contribute to operational commitments undertaken by the regular Army.
§ Mr. RifkindFurther to my announcement of 17 June 1993,Official Report, columns 1009-11, we plan to deploy a Territorial Army platoon in support of the regular Army in the Falkland Islands from July to November this year and a TA company as part of the Falkland Islands garrison from March to July next year. Both deployments will represent a pilot scheme to test the use of the TA in this way and will, if successful, facilitate the wider use of our volunteer reserves in circumstances short of war.