§ Mr. ColvinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what percentage of the Regular Reserves in 1993 (a) responded to questions as to their suitability for military service and (b) provided full details as to their medical conditions;
(2) how frequently the information which is held centrally by each service on the suitability for military service of members of the Regular reserve is (a) updated and (b) verified with individual reservists.
§ Mr. HanleyInformation on the suitability for military service of members of the Royal Fleet Reserve and the Regular Army Reserve is provided by personnel completing an annual questionnaire, which includes a section on the individual's medical condition. The Royal Navy introduced a postal reporting system in July 1993 and in the first six months some 1,300 members of the Royal Fleet Reserve were contacted, of whom approximately 50 per cent. replied. The Army's Regular Reserve use a similar system, and at the end of 1993 about 55 per cent. of those contacted had responded.
The Royal Air Force system requires the reservist to inform his management centre only when his or her circumstances change. In 1993, less than 1 per cent. of the reserve strength did so.
389W
§ Mr. ColvinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the respective roles of the Army Reserve, Army service pensioners with recall liability and the Army's Long-term Reserve.
§ Mr. HanleyEx-Regular Army reservists can be used in the following roles regardless of the category of reserve to which they belong:
- a. To provide reinforcements to bring regular and TA units and headquarters up to their war establishment.
- b. To provide Battle Casuality Replacements.
- c. To form sub-units for Home Defence tasks.
§ Mr. ColvinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service pensioners have a recall liability.
§ Mr. HanleyThe numbers of service pensioners excluding officers who had a recall liability at 31 March 1994 are as follows rounded to the nearest 100:
Number Royal Navy: 11,300 Royal Marines: 1,000 Army: 32,900 Royal Air Force: 21,900 The liability of ex-Regular officers for recall is not dependent on receipt of a pension, and information in the form requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. ColvinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions, and in what numbers, men of the Army Reserve have been called out for training over the past five years(a) for a period not exceeding 15 days and (b) for a period not exceeding 36 hours.
§ Mr. HanleyThe number called out once annually for training since 1989 are as follows:
Number 1989–90 54,719 1990–91 53,559 1991–92 47,278 1992–93 Nil 1993–94 Nil On all of these occasions the training period did not exceed 36 hours.
§ Mr. ColvinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the sequence of call-out of all components of the Army Reserves under section 10 of the Reserve Forces Act 1980 when it appears to Her Majesty's Government that national danger is imminent or a great emergency has arisen.
§ Mr. HanleySection 10 of the Reserve Forces Act 1980 applies directly to the Territorial Army and Army Reserve. There is no restriction on the order in which they or any other Army reservists are called out.
The Act also provides that when members of the Army Reserve are called out for permanent service under section 10, Army pensioners may be recalled under section 32(1) and men of the Army Long-term Reserve may be recalled for service under section 34(1).
Call-out of members of the Regular Army Reserve of Officers—RARO—is governed by the Pay Warrant 1964, 390W article 285. It provides that class I of RARO, which includes most ex-Regular officers, may be called-out if the call-out of Army reservists has been ordered when national danger is imminent or a great emergency has arisen.
§ Mr. ColvinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria were used, and what specialist training was required, in respect of those members of the Regular Reserve called out during the Gulf conflict.
§ Mr. HanleyRegular Reserves were called out during the Gulf conflict to fill specific posts. The selection process was designed to identify individuals who, because of their experience and qualifications, needed only the minimum of training to achieve operational readiness in those posts.
§ Mr. ColvinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Territorial Army units are between two thirds and 80 per cent. recruited.
§ Mr. HanleyAs at 1 April 1994 there were 10 Territorial Army units between two-thirds and 80 per cent. recruited. They are as follows:
Unit District Per cent. 102 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Eastern District 67 77 Engineer Regiment Eastern District 73 Scots Yeomanry Scotland 67 32 Signal Regiment Scotland 77 205 Field Hospital Scotland 68 2 Wessex Southern District 80 103 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Southern District 72 203 Field Hospital Wales and Western District 74 31 Signal Regiment London 75 257 Field Hospital London 70