§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to deploy(a) armed forces personnel and (b) reservists to protect critical elements of the civil national infrastructure, other than nuclear power installations. [14118]
§ Mr. IngramSecurity of the critical elements of the civil national infrastructure rests with a number of Government Departments. The police may request the support of the armed forces to guard key installations should other resources prove insufficient. While we maintain close contact with the police, there have been no recent requests for this support.
The possible deployment of the Territorial Army and reservists in this role will be considered during the development of the new chapter of the Strategic Defence Review, announced in the House on 4 October. This work will consider the requirement for additional resources, should this and/or other roles be identified, and the cost-effectiveness of the armed forces playing a greater part in this work.