Member

Clause 38 creates a new public body to deliver vital support to the reserve forces and cadets association. The Government fully recognise, as I have said, the valuable contribution that the RFCAs have made over many decades. Through their support to the Reserve Forces, the cadet movement, employers and local communities, they provide an important link between defence and society. In an increasingly uncertain security environment, the RFCAs will have an important role in supporting defence’s contribution to national resilience. Through their links with reservists, employers, local authorities and communities across the United Kingdom, they help strengthen the relationships and structures that underpin defence’s ability to respond to crises and support the protection of our critical national infrastructure. In these dangerous times, these functions are more important than ever, as the noble Earl, Lord Minto, will recognise.