Member

The essence of amendment 6 is to speed up the potential mobilisation of group A reserves from readiness level R9, which is 180 days, to readiness level R8, which is 90 days. Again, we debated this in the Select Committee, where I was keen to point out to the Minister that this suggestion came from the shop floor, as it were, having been put to me by a number of serving reserve officers—no names and no pack drill, in order to prevent any career damage. They were very clear that they would like the Government to accelerate their potential mobilisation timetable. It is because it came from that quarter that we gave this request particular consideration.