HC Deb 25 November 2002 vol 395 cc3-4W
Mr. Gerald Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the extra men training days that have been granted for the Civil Contingencies Reaction Force will be spent on(a) bringing each service man and woman to a common standard of basic training and (b) CBRN training. [82209]

Mr. Ingram

The training plans for the Civil Contingency Reaction Forces are still being developed. They will be aligned with existing Volunteer Reserve training and, in due course, with the requirements of specific regional contingency plans as these are developed in conjunction with local authorities and emergency services.

Mr. Gerald Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Civil Contingencies Reaction Force will be fully effective. [82211]

Mr. Ingram

We expect that the 14 Civil Contingency Reaction Forces will be fully effective by the end of 2003, once they are fully recruited and have undergone an annual training cycle, and once the new regional liaison, planning, command and control arrangements are in place.