| MP
for the Gosport constituency, Peter Viggers, yesterday called
for an increase in the number of reserve forces to strengthen
the country's regular army.
Speaking
in the House of Commons, he explained that additional reserve
forces were needed not only to reinforce regular forces during
war and other missions, but to provide aid to the civil community
in times of emergency, and to act as a link between the armed
forces and the civilian community as a whole.
Peter
said, "There are significant benefits to the use of reserve
forces in other areas of defence than in military combat alone.
For example, in areas such as nuclear, biological and chemical
attack, terrorism and drug-related crime, environmental damage
and technological attack, reservists have a high degree of
external experience and the ability to be called up if necessary.
We should take advantage of the skills and capabilities of
our reserve forces to prepare this nation for any attack along
these lines.
"The
Territorial Army needs to be big enough to be deployed without
calling on its members too frequently. The announced reduction
by the Labour Government from 59,000 to 41,2000 was too great.
I maintain that the initial number of 59,000 was approximately
correct, and allowing for a turnover of roughly 30%, we need
approximately 78,000 to achieve this figure. We are out of
step with the rest of the world in having such thin reserve
forces capable of reconstituting our regular forces, and I
therefore urge Ministers to give consideration to a significant
increase in the numbers of people serving in the Territorial
Army".
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