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Defence in the United Kingdom

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for those remarks, and he is right. Change is always difficult, but there is an appreciation among our armed forces that what we propose will be for the greater good of the British Army in the longer term. I am always struck that sergeant-majors—and, sometimes, the regimental sergeant-majors—are the most forceful when it comes to putting that view across. One talks to such people with some trepidation, as in one sense they speak on behalf of everyone. I have never met one who has said that what we are doing is wrong. They understand the difficulties that we face. Although they say that they wish that no reform was necessary, they are keen to move forward rather than move backward or stand still. They know that we need to change. My hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) raises the whole question of accoutrements and the golden thread. I must explain that that really is not a matter for Ministers. It is a minefield into which we tread very warily. The Army must decide what is acceptable and deliverable in that regard. The executive committee of the Army Board is looking at these questions and announcements will be made in due course. It is possible that decisions have been made that have not been passed on to Ministers but, once the information is available, the House will be notified in the appropriate manner. It is right that we notify those who serve about such matters first. We are conscious of the golden thread and the whole question of accoutrements. Difficult decisions will have to be taken, but I take note of my hon. Friend’s point. I was talking about the end of the arms plot and the fact that 20 per cent. of the Army is unavailable for deployment under the existing system. As we move forward with the restructure, there will be fewer battalions—36 instead of 40—but we will have greater usability. Capability will no longer be lost due to the need for battalions to move location or re-role. That will also mean that the infantry will be able to offer much greater stability for soldiers and their families, so they will be able to plan their lives and careers with confidence. That is what our soldiers want. Given the benefits to families, that should help with the retention of our highly trained people. When making changes to modernise the infantry, it has been important not to throw away their history and heritage. I have explained the background to why we are determined to maintain the golden thread. As well as considering history and heritage as part of our approach on recruitment and retention, we must keep it in mind that in the 21st century our armed forces must be truly representative of the society that they serve. We must review barriers to equality of opportunity whenever that can be done without compromising operational effectiveness. Let me cite several examples of the way in which we are addressing the matter. We are considering what flexibility might be possible to help those serving in the armed forces with child care and other family responsibilities. We carry out a wide range of outreach and recruitment activities that are specifically designed to build links with ethnic minority, gay and lesbian communities. We have recently recruited our first Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh chaplains, and we are continuing to work in partnership with the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Commission for Racial Equality.