2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

Debate between Jim McGovern and John Baron

Thursday 18th October 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Baron]

I do, and I shall come on to that very point briefly in my speech.

[Jim McGovern (Dundee West) (Lab)]

I have heard the hon. Gentleman say on a number of occasions that some of the Scottish battalions or regiments should have been disbanded. Is this not a time for mutual support rather than picking on Scottish regiments?

[Mr Baron]

Let us be absolutely clear about this. I do not believe that any battalion should be cut at all, and that is a fact, but if there have to be cuts, they must be based on military logic, not political calculation. The bottom line is that the figures provided in answers to written parliamentary questions about recruitment and retention and in the Secretary of State’s response to me clearly show that two Scottish battalions are undermanned—far more so than the equivalent in the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. That is what we are discussing. Decisions should be based on military logic, not political calculation.