§ David HamiltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strength is of the Territorial Army in Scotland; and what the MOD is doing to recruit more soldiers into the TA. [58565]
§ Mr. Tom HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to encourage recruitment to the Territorial Army. [58866]
§ Dr. MoonieThe strength of the Territorial Army (TA) in Scotland as at 30 April is as follows:
Number Officers 474 Other ranks 4,190 Total 4,664 As I said in my answer on 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 828W, to the hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin), the current strength of the TA, including those mobilised on operations and on full-time reserve service, almost exactly matches the overall target size of the TA set as a result of the Strategic Defence Review. It is, therefore, in good shape, although there are some specific areas where numbers fall short of target, most notably the Army Medical Service (TA). The "Time to get fitTA" awareness campaign launched in December last year received a good response, although the overall effectiveness of the campaign will not be known until the new figures come out later this year. The annual National Recruiting Campaign which concluded on 18 May with TA Day, and a further Regional Recruiting Campaign to be launched in the autumn, are excellent opportunities for the general public to find out more about the TA. The aim of these campaigns is to keep the TA in its currently healthy state and under current plans they will continue to be a significant feature of the TA recruiting operation.