§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy on sponsored reserves in Her Majesty's forces; and if he will make a statement. [28343]
§ Mr. SpellarWe believe that the Sponsored Reserve concept has much potential, and we have been encouraged by the interest shown by Industry. My Department is taking forward the concept in a number of areas as one of the ways of supporting operationally essential services in partnership with the private sector. As part of the Strategic Defence Review, we are actively progressing the application of the Sponsored Reserve concept in a thorough examination of the costs and operational risk. No decisions have yet been reached.