There are serious concerns at the Government’s refusal to publish Reserve recruitment figures- Vernon Coaker Vernon Coaker MP, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, responding to the Government’s release of the Quarterly Personnel Report and the decline in Army Reserve figures: Labour is proud of the vital contribution the Reserves make to our nation’s security and that’s why we support them playing an enhanced and more heavily integrated role. But figures released today by the Government show the strength of the Army Reserve has declined in the past year. That poses major questions about the Government’s planned reforms to the Armed Forces. There are serious concerns at the Government’s refusal to publish Reserve recruitment figures. We have no way of knowing whether the Government is on course to meet its own targets. A previous report showed that the Government fell far short. The failure to provide transparency on its own figures can only lead to the conclusion that the Defence Secretary has something to hide. Labour will seek to work with MPs from all parties to bring forward an amendment to the Defence Reform Bill in Parliament next week to ensure the government is held to account on this issue of critical national importance.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 22:12:22 +0000