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Reserve Forces: Cyprus

My right honourable friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. A new call-out order has been made under Section 56 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 to enable members of the Reserve Forces to be called out into permanent service and deployed to Cyprus as part of the UK's contribution to the United Nations Forces in Cyprus (UNFICYP). It is planned for the first group of reservists to commence six-month operational tours in October 2007; the exact number involved has yet to be determined but is expected to be about 120. Subsequent groups may vary in size but in all cases the reservists will relieve the corresponding number of regular soldiers involved with UNFICYP to be deployed on other commitments. We envisage that the majority of reservists will come from TA artillery and engineer regiments as these units have a lower proportion of members with recent operational experience. The call-out order has effect until 30 April 2008.