Lords debates armed forces
1 November 2013
Members of the Lords discussed the impact of redundancies on the armed forces following recent comments by General Sir Nick Houghton, Chief of the Defence Staff, on Thursday 31 October.
The 2010 defence review called for a reconfiguring of the UK's armed forces under the Future Force 2020 programme. This debate focused on the impact of the redundancies made necessary as a result of the review.
Members drew particular attention to the treatment of soldiers made compulsorily redundant shortly before their full pension date, and the loss of income they have suffered. There was concern about the effect on morale and recruitment and whether the projected increase in reserve forces would deliver sufficient numbers with the right skills and experience.
There was a call for the government to look again at the implementation of the programme - especially with further redundancies expected early in 2014.