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Armed Forces: Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

My right honourable friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Bob Ainsworth) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. I wish to announce today plans to restructure the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) as part of the ongoing implementation of the future Army structure. In line with the defence logistics transformation programme, the off-platform repair capability, which provides intricate repairs from a semi-permanent location, will be aggregated into two off-platform repair companies. These sub-units, together with those assigned to the logistic brigades, will come under the command of two Territorial Army (TA) battalions—101 and 104 Battalion REME. The battalions will be retitled 101 and 104 Force Support Battalions REME to reflect their increased role. Their present affiliations remain extant. The overall size of the TA is not affected. Whilst this entails integrating regular companies into battalions that were previously TA, it does not set precedence—elements of the Royal Military Police are similarly structured. Command will be exercised by a regular commanding officer, although sufficient REME reserve command opportunities will still exist elsewhere. These changes will be effective from 1 April 2008.