§ Lord Vivianasked Her Majesty's Government:
What would be the deployable strength of the Territorial Army not including the University Officer Training Corps of 3,500 undergraduates. [HL3775]
§ Lord GilbertThe strength of the Territorial Army is 37,700 excluding the Officer Training Corps.
§ Lord Vivianasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the terms of engagement of 3,500 undergraduates serving in the Officer Training Corps at universities allow them to be deployed and integrated onto a more readily and useable reserve army during their studies. [HL3774]
§ Lord GilbertOne of the main aims of the Officer Training Corps is to provide a reserve of potential officers for mobilisation and a structure through which to mobilise. As members of the Territorial Army, Officer Training Corps personnel have a liability for call-out on mobilisation as do others subject to the terms of Territorial Army Regulations. In practice, OTC personnel have not been called out since before World War I.
§ Viscount Trenchardasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether proposals currently under consideration for the Territorial Army envisage a reduction in the strength of its infantry of nearly 60 per cent. from an establishment of 16,000 to one of 6,500; and what will be the annual saving to the defence budget resulting from this reduction. [HL3858]
§ Lord GilbertThe strength of the Territorial Army infantry will fall from 16,000 to slightly over 7,100. It is anticipated that the overall Territorial Army restructuring package will generate long-term savings of some £70 £75 million per annum. Savings accruing from individual elements have not been separately identified.
§ Viscount Trenchardasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in considering proposals for the Territorial Army, they have taken account of the social and other benefits which the Territorial Army provides to the community; and whether they have considered the feasibility and cost of providing these benefits in other ways. [HL3859]
§ Lord GilbertThe decision announced in the House on Tuesday 17 November, (Official Report, cols. 1155–1158) took account of the wider, non-military aspects of the Territorial Army, including the social benefits it offers to the community and the Army. It was for this reason that we decided to maintain a widespread representation of the Territorial Army across the regions and counties of the United Kingdom.