§ Mrs. GilroyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Merchant Navy Reserve. [123786]
§ Mr. SpellarI have recently decided, as part of my Department's continuous attempts to improve the effectiveness and operability of the naval reserve forces, to disband the Merchant Navy Reserve (MNR).
The MNR was formed in 1989 to provide a modest pool of experienced British Merchant Seamen to augment the crews of UK registered merchant ships in times of tension and war. The MNR's membership has never been called-out since its inception and there are no foreseen circumstances where the Government may be required to do so. The Cold War environment that generated the requirement for the Merchant Navy Reserve has changed fundamentally, resulting in the necessity for the Government to review all elements of the armed forces. Such reviews have demonstrated there is no longer a requirement to maintain the Merchant Navy Reserve in circumstances where there is no foreseeable need for its services.
My Department has therefore made arrangements for letters to be sent to individual members of the MNR thanking them for their past service and informing them of this decision and the reasons behind it. The letters encourage MNR personnel to consider joining the Royal Naval Reserve, an organisation which offers valuable training and personal development opportunities to all those with an interest in acquiring or maintaining the Nation's much-needed maritime skills.
The measure in no way effects the Government's wholehearted and continuing support for the Merchant Navy, a matter demonstrated amply in the 1998 White Paper "British Shipping: Charting A New Course". Industry, the unions and Government continue to work together to regenerate the UK merchant navy and seafaring skills base to meet the Nation's future needs.