Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Army Size

05 July 2022 · 4 other contributors · 3,344 words

Opened by Barry Sheerman Lab Huddersfield

Responding minister: Leo Docherty

Defence

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Barry Sheerman raised concerns about army size in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about the reduction of British Army personnel from around 140,000 in 2013 to 72,000 by 2025.
  • Urges the Government to reconsider defence spending and personnel numbers to ensure adequate equipment for national and allied defence.
  • Minister announced a 24 billion funding increase until 2024 to support an Army of 100,000 combining regulars and reserves.

Key requests to Government

I urge the Government to reconsider its approach to defence spending and personnel numbers, ensuring we maintain the equipment necessary for our own defence and that of our allies. I also ask what plans are in place to fill the gaps created by cuts to Challenger battle tanks, Warrior infantry vehicles, and troop reductions.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Barry Sheerman Lab Huddersfield

I am concerned about the current size of the British Army and its preparedness for potential conflicts. Over the past decade, I have warned against cuts to the size of the Army, which has gone from around 140,000 armed personnel in 2013 to 72,000 by 2025. The current numbers are nowhere near good enough for a key player in NATO. We face gaps that will not be filled for years due to new procurement taking decades to come to fruition, leaving us vulnerable to future escalations with Russia, China or other parts of the world.

Other contributors (4)
  • Dan Jarvis Lab Barnsley North

    Urges caution in reducing numbers of people serving in armed forces due to uncertainty regarding future threats, advocating for an insurance policy approach.

  • Daniel Poulter Con Stortford

    Congratulates the hon. Gentleman for securing the debate and suggests putting more boots on the ground in NATO countries, particularly those facing Russia.

  • Giles Watling

    Compliments the hon. Gentleman for securing the debate and questions if reducing armed forces has encouraged Vladimir Putin, raising concerns about the 2030 timescale for spending increase to 2.5%.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Highlights that as of January 2021, RAF figures were down by 6%, Army and Royal Navy figures by 5%. Suggests increasing numbers through the Territorial Army and reserves.

Government Response

Leo Docherty

I am honoured to respond to the debate on the Army size. The Minister acknowledged the hon. Member for Huddersfield's long-standing dedication to defence issues and highlighted the Government's commitment to updating and modernising our armed forces in light of Russia's threat, as outlined in the defence Command Paper. The response includes a £24 billion increase in funding until 2024 to ensure an Army of 100,000, combining regulars and reserves. The Future Soldier programme aims to reform the British Army into brigade combat teams for better self-sufficiency and integration with digital communications, ensuring all soldiers can communicate across platforms. Additionally, the equipment plan sees a £43 billion investment over the next decade, bringing state-of-the-art military equipment like Boxers, upgraded Challenger tanks, mobile deep fires capability, and ISTAR assets. The Minister stressed the importance of being doctrinally capable, better-equipped, and more integrated with allies within NATO. He also highlighted Operation Cabrit's presence in Estonia and the security force assistance battalions for building allied capacity. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Op Mobilise has been initiated to review postures, accelerate plans, boost readiness, speed up technological advances, and reconsider doctrines as necessary. The Prime Minister and Defence Secretary have committed to more defence investment when needed.

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