Military: In brief
01 November 1992
Nuclear future: Malcolm Rifkind, the Secretary of State for Defence, said in Paris that the French and UK nuclear weapons underpin the security of "non-nuclear partners and allies". These weapons would, he said, "continue to play a fundamental role for the foreseeable future in ensuring strategic stability in Europe". The risk of nuclear profileration meant that deterrence could only be effective "if nuclear retaliation against aggression appeared credible".
Ministry of Defence press release, 30.9.92.
British Army of the Rhine disbands: at the end of September the British Army of the Rhine was disbanded. The British troops in Germany are now part of the Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps [ARRC] under the command of Lieutenant General Sir Jeremy Mackenzie.
Ministry of Defence press release 29.9.92.
Use of force allowed in guarding army compounds: The Dutch cabinet recently agreed on a bill that will allow military personnel the use of force on guard duties. Up till now, military personnel who used force could only claim self-defence. Although the threat of foreign spies trying to steal military secrets has diminished, the new legislation is thought necessary to scare off criminals from trying to obtain weapons by robbing military guards or entering army compounds. A side effect is that peace activists who have in the past entered military installations to protest or sabotage missions could in the future face the risk of being shot at.
UK army training overseas: under long-established arrangements troops from the UK army train in the following countries: Australia, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Falkland Islands, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Hawaii, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Portugal, Spain,Thailand and the USA.
Hansard Commons, 11.6.92.
UK military numbers: in May 1992 a total of 138,982 civil servants were employed by the Ministry of Defence. The strength of the UK regular forces - Army, Navy and Air Force - is estimated to be 265,600.
Hansard Commons 24.6.92.
Ministry of Defence Guard Service: the new Ministry of Defence Guard Service was set up on 1 October. It has been formed from existing civilian guards forces, comprising "guarding, patrolling and watching grades". They are under the direction of the Ministry of Defence Police Chief Constable. The Ministry says that: "Guards will be free to join any union of their choice. It has been the practice of successive governments that politically- affiliated unions are not recognised as representing non- industrial servants for collective bargaining purposes, because of the importance of maintaining the principle that the non- industrial civil service is politically impartial".
Ministry of Defence press releases 25.4.92 & 28.7.92.
Military bye-laws invalid: the Appeal Court said in a judgement that the RAF Alconbury bye-laws 1985 and HM Forest Moor and the Menwith Hill Station bye-laws 1986 which purported to exclude members of the public from military bases were substantively invalid for failing to state with sufficient clarity the areas they covered. Moreover, in the case of the RAF Alconbury bye-laws which referred to covering the area within the outer perimeter fence "the position of that fence had been moved, quite deliberately, so as to substantially increase the area covered".
Independent 8.9.92.