§ Mr. KeetchTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the contracts signed by his Department requiring the service provider to employ sponsored reserves; how many sponsored reserves are required in each case; and if he will make a statement. [90774]
§ Dr. MoonieAs of 14 January contracts have been signed for the RORO Strategic Sealift which has a requirement for 180 Sponsored Reserves (SRs), the Survey Vessels Project which has a requirement for four SRs, the Mobile Met Unit which has a requirement for 48 SRs and the Heavy Equipment Transporter which has a requirement for 85 SRs.
§ Mr. KeetchTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many call-out notices have been sent out recently; how many call-out notices were sent to reservists and under what legal headings prior to and during(a) the Kosovo crisis, (b) the first Gulf war and (c) operations in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [90798]
§ Dr. MoonieAs my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence stated in his announcement to the House on 7 January 2003,Official Report, column 24, we envisage initially sending out sufficient call-out notices to secure about 1,500 Reservists and we will issue further notices as appropriate. As of 13 January, some 615 call-out notices had been sent under the authority of the call-out order made on 7 January 2003 under Section 54 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 (RFA 96). For operations in the former republic of Yugoslavia (including Kosovo) and Afghanistan, Reservists were also called out under Section 54 of RFA 96. For Operation Granby (the Gulf conflict 1990–91), Reservists were called out under Section 10 of the Reserve Forces Act 1980. Information regarding call-out notices served for these operations is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
706W
§ Mr. KeetchTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether reservists are awaiting call-up to come from(a) the Territorial Army and (b) the Civilian Regular Reserves; what reserve liabilities exist for each category of reserve in each of the three services; which situations must exist before recall can be permitted; what procedures have to be followed in order to implement the call-up in each case; and if he will make a statement. [90799]
§ Dr. MoonieInitially we envisage to secure about 1,500 reservists under the call-out Order made on 7 January 2003. That Order was made under section 54(1) of the Reserve Forces Act 1996. The vast majority of those being called out will come from the volunteer reserve forces, ie. the Royal Naval Reserve, the Royal Marines Reserve, the Territorial Army and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. However, some reservists, particularly those who have skills not readily available in the volunteer reserve forces, will be called out from the ex-regular reserve forces, ie. the Royal Fleet Reserve, the Army Reserve and the Royal Air Force Reserve.
The general liabilities for members of the reserve forces, both volunteer and ex-regular, are set out in Part VI of the Reserve Forces Act 1996, particularly sections 52, 54 and 56. The liability of certain officers and former servicemen who are not members of any reserve force to be recalled for service is set out in Part VII of the Act and the power to authorise their recall is laid down in section 68. The call-out Order made on 7 January does not authorise the mobilisation of such individuals and there are no plans to make a recall Order. Such an Order could only be made in time of national danger or if a great emergency had arisen.
§ Mr. KeetchTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons reservists can refuse to serve; what powers the MoD has to compel reservists to serve; and if he will make a statement. [90800]
§ Dr. MoonieThe Reserve Forces Act 1996 (RFA 96) requires Reservists who are served with a call-out notice to report for service at a specified time and place. Failure to comply may result in the Reservist being charged with desertion or absence without leave and may be tried by court-martial or summarily by a civil court. However, RFA 96 also contains safeguards for individuals, including the right to apply for exemption from or deferral of call-out. The detailed regulations are contained in the Reserve Forces (Call-out and Recall) (Exemptions Etc) Regulations, Statutory Instrument 1997/307. Schedule 1 of those regulations sets out the grounds on which a Reservist may make an application. Reservists are made aware of their right to apply for deferral or exemption at the time of their call-out. There are separate arrangements for conscientious objectors.
§ Mr. Peter DuncanTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reservists are being called up who reside in Scotland. [90391]
§ Dr. MoonieAs my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence stated in his announcement to the House on 7 January 2003Official Report, column 24, experience shows that the number of call-out notices issued needs to be significantly larger than the number of individual Reservists likely to be required. Under the 707W call-out order made on 7 January 2003, we envisage initially sending out sufficient call-out notices to secure about 1,500 Reservists and we will issue further notices as appropriate. As of 13 January, some 615 call-out notices had been issued, of which 32 were sent to addresses in Scotland.