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Territorial Army Rebalancing

I thank the hon. Gentleman for coming to see me. The meeting was part of my examination of the matter. It is good to get the experience of hon. Members such as him. I thank him for giving me a range of questions that I was able to pose to my officials. The whole drive behind what we are doing is to ensure that the TA is integrated in the regular forces. We want to ensure that it is compatible, deliverable and able to achieve its objectives. It would thus be wholly wrong to see it as something that can be dipped in and out of. There will be training for a specific role in major operations because that is the right way of doing things. At any point in time, a third of the TA will be under training and two thirds will be trained—that is the constant cycle that is likely to apply. As I said earlier, it is impossible to differentiate between TA personnel and regulars in the main, whether they are in the infantry or any of the other skilled trades. That reality will grow over the months and years ahead. I do not think that the hon. Gentleman’s fear will be realised. I do not think that that is what the Regular Army wants, and I am certain that the TA would not allow itself to be misused in such a way.