Reserve Forces: Campaign against Terrorism (Hansard, 15 January 2002)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)

Since the call-out order (Official Report, 16 October, col. 1132, in another place) was signed last October to permit reservists to support the campaign against international terrorism, 74 reservists from all three services have been called out. Reservists have been supporting the operation on other forms of service. We are immensely grateful to all of them. As a further measure to support the current level of operations, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence has authorised the compulsory call-out of up to 140 specialist Territorial Army personnel to provide intelligence support to headquarters organisations in the UK and to the UK forces deployed in Afghanistan. This action is fully in accordance with our stated intention as part of the Strategic Defence Review to make our reserve forces more useable integrated and relevant. We believe that the compulsory call-out will be welcomed by the personnel involved and their employers.