OVERSTRETCH IN THE ARMY

That this House welcomes the Government's recognition of the problem of overstretch in the Army with the decision, announced by the Defence Secretary on 3rd February, to restore two of the 14 United Kingdom infantry battalions to be cut under Options for Change and 3, 000 of the planned manpower cuts of 40,000, but is concerned that these measures will be inadequate to deal with the present scale of overstretch; further endorses the Second Report of the Defence Select Committee (HC 306) entitled Britain's Army for the 90s: Commitments and Resources calling for a halt to all infantry amalgamations; and invites Her Majesty's Government to implement the Report's findings and to honour undertakings given by Ministers at the time of the Options announcement that manpower reductions would be offset by better equipment.