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Written question asked by Chris Loder (Conservative) on Monday, 12 April 2021, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 15 April 2021 (named day). It was answered by James Heappey (Conservative) on Thursday, 15 April 2021 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Rifles Regiment

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, what plans he has for The Rifles, the successor regiment of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment.

Answer

The Secretary of State set out his vision for the Armed Forces when he launched the Defence Command Paper "Defence in a Competitive Age" on 22 March 2021. As he made clear, a transformation such as this requires significant reorganisation of force structures.

The Army will therefore in the next several months refine and test the designs, capabilities and structure of Army units before more detailed announcements can be made. Future announcements will include the Reserve Forces 2030 review, which builds on the work already done on utilising our reserves to make sure the whole force is better integrated and more productive.

I can however in the interim confirm that, as the Defence Secretary said, 4th Battalion The Rifles, currently a Specialised Infantry Battalion, will be one of the four battalions which seeds the new Ranger Regiment, carrying through its historic character and ethos to the benefit of the new unit.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
179557
Session
2019-21
Subjects
Rifles Regiment Integrated Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy Review
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk