---

Defence in the United Kingdom

My hon. Friend makes his point very clearly and backs up what I am trying to say. Part of the problem is defining the role of the TA nowadays. It was always thought to be a reserve force and never intended to be a continual front-line force. It is difficult for young people at the start of their civilian careers to expect to be called up for 10 months’ continual service in a three-year period; and we must not overlook those who are older. I regret that the Ministry will not answer the question, which has been posed several times, about how many TA personnel have left after having been deployed. I appreciate the Minister’s saying that, where possible, the term of commitment is to be extended from three to five years. At present, however—especially in the infantry, where the number of regulars is being cut—as soon as a private has completed basic training he will be called up in the next Operation Telic. The Ministry says that 2,000 TA infantry privates were available for Operation Telic 7 and some 1,500 were available for Operation Telic 8. I do not know where it gets those figures from, especially given that the 4th Battalion the Parachute Regiment was not even able to form a company for Operation Telic 7. A third of the numbers were supplied by the Tyne and Tees Regiment and the East and West Riding Regiment. I suspect that, as information on the ground suggests, new recruits finish their basic training and are deployed virtually immediately when the brown envelope drops on their doormat. Is it any wonder that so many leave when they see what is happening? We need to consider the effect on the employers of those deployed in the TA. SaBRE—Supporting Britain’s Reservists and Employers—provides an excellent lifeline, especially for employers. Although the number of TA medical personnel who have been deployed since the start of Operation Telic may seem small at 754, most if not all of them are employed in the national health service and need to be replaced in order to continue to provide the services required. The effect on small businesses can be devastating. Although the financial package for replacement of staff is good, it does not replace the expertise and experience of a key individual who is absent for such a long period. Those left behind can cope for a month or two—possibly for up to three—but 10 months is expecting too much. Some 1,350 members of the TA have volunteered for a second or subsequent tour. One sometimes wonders why they do not join the regulars. Part of the answer might be that they are far better off financially if they do not do so because they receive their normal civilian wage. A person who is on a salary of £25,000-plus may be in the same unit as a regular on a salary of £16,000.