§ Mr. Alasdair MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what representations he has made to the Secretary of State for Defence concerning the role of the TA in contingency planning scenarios for the millennium bug; [59161]
(2) what assessment he has made of the impact on emergency preparedness for the millennium bug (a) in the UK, (b) in Scotland and (c) north of Inverness of planned reductions in the Territorial Army. [59159]
(3) what representations he has received from the Secretary of State for Scotland concerning the role of the Territorial Army in responding to civil emergencies resulting from the impact of the millennium bug on electricity supply and telecommunications; and if he will make a statement; [59158]
(4) if his contingency planning scenarios for the millennium bug include a role for the TA infantry and TA engineers. [59160]
§ Mr. George HowarthProcedures are already in place for the provision of military aid to the civil authority and these arrangements are under regular review in the run up to the Millennium date change. The deployment of the Territorial Army in response to requests for aid is an operational matter for consideration within the Ministry of Defence.