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Royal Irish Regiment (Home Service)

I join the Minister in praising the contribution of the Royal Irish regiment down the years, and especially those components that form the Ulster Defence Regiment. The Opposition recognise the immense sacrifices that they made during their lengthy period of active operations when Northern Ireland was a focus of terrorist violence. Indeed, they have been on operational duty as long as I have been alive. I am sure that I speak for everyone on both sides of the House when I say how pleased we are with the progress being made towards a just and lasting settlement in Northern Ireland. We hope that the talks succeed, but the ninth report of the Independent Monitoring Commission makes it clear that it is very difficult to predict the nature of the threat to public order. Events in the summer and autumn of 2005 confirm that, and show that the police can be placed in a position where they need reinforcements. They also show the potential for extreme violence, including sectarian violence, to erupt suddenly in the course of rioting, and for that violence to include potentially lethal attacks on the security forces. Therefore, what specific measures does the Minister intend to put in place to ensure that the Army will retain the capacity to react adequately, should the security situation deteriorate? We may hope for the best, but we must plan for the worst. Given that the Minister has effectively acknowledged that the Army is overstretched, will he reassure the House that the proposed financial arrangements will not act as a disincentive to those wishing to transfer to another regiment? As for the details of the package, we welcome the generous compensation that will be available for our soldiers. They deserve no less. Finally, I have a question about Army bands. Given the reduction in the number of bands outlined in written statements, is the Minister able to give a commitment on the future of the Corps of Army Music’s headquarters at Kneller hall in Twickenham?