§ Mr. SwayneTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to use Exercise Swift Sword to increase recruitment to the armed forces. [10580]
§ Mr. IngramAn Army recruiting initiative 'Operation London Soldier', from 10 to 23 September 2001, culminated in a competition on 30 September. The planned prize had been a period with Exercise Swift Sword. However, due to the events of 11 September, a replacement prize of one week of military/adventure training in Gibraltar was introduced instead.
Exercise Swift Sword, as with all such large exercises, served to heighten awareness of the armed forces, with considerable daily coverage in the media. In addition, the live footage and photographs from the exercise will be used to enhance and update the services' recruiting libraries and will provide up to date and topical material for future recruiting literature.