§ 23. Mrs. BrintonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Territorial Army infantry. [41319]
§ Dr. ReidThe Strategic Defence Review has examined all aspects of our Armed Forces, including the Territorial Army and its Infantry Battalions. We have not yet taken any final decisions and it would be wrong for me to speculate as to what they might be.
What I can say is that we clearly need a Territorial Army that is relevant to today's strategic environment, structured for all the roles that we can plausibly foresee. Our aim is to achieve a capable and useable Territorial Army, one that is modern, fit and ready for the service of a modern Britain.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received on the future of the Territorial Army centres. [41301]
§ Dr. ReidMy Department has received a number of representations concerning the future of many Territorial Army units and the centres they occupy.