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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list (a) armoured regiments and (b) artillery regiments that have been deployed in Iraq in an infantry role since the end of hostilities; what the reasons for deployment in this role was in each case; and what assessment he has made of the potential risks of using armoured regiments in an infantry role; [219062] (2) what the training time is for artillery and armoured units to (a) re-role in an infantry role and (b) revert to their original roles. [219063] Mr. Ingram: Details of Royal Armoured Corps and Royal Artillery units that have deployed in an infantry role in Iraq since the end of hostilities are set out in the following table. It is not unusual for non-infantry units to deploy in an infantry role as every soldier in the British Army is trained as infanteer first, and as a specialist second. Such units would not, however, primarily be deployed in an infantry role during war fighting operations. My hon. Friend may be assured that there is assessed to be no increased risk in deploying such units in this role and that they receive the same pre- deployment training as Infantry Battalions. All units, upon return from an `out of role' operational tour, will undertake a routinely planned training programme designed to bring it back up to competency in its specialism. The duration of such a training programme will vary according to an individual unit's specialism. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Arm Unit Date (a) (b) (c) Royal Artillery 40th Regiment Royal Artillery July 2003 to November 2003 26th Regiment Royal Artillery November 2003 to May 2004 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery May 2004 to November 2004 4th Regiment Royal Artillery November 2004 Royal Armoured Corps 2nd Royal Tank Regiment June 2003 to November 2003 Queens Royal Hussars November 2003 to May 2004 Queens Royal Lancers May 2004 to November 2004 Royal Dragoon Guards November 2004 _________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

431 c1543-4W;431 c1537W; 219062;219063

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Army Deployment Iraq Peacekeeping operations Training Royal Artillery Royal Armoured Corps

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk