08 Nov 11. Overseas Territories: White Paper to be Published. A Foreign Office Minister confirmed (8 Nov 11) that the Government plans to publish a White Paper (i.e. policy document) on the Overseas Territories in 2012.
Comment: The FCO launched a consultation on the new strategy proposed for the Overseas Territories on 27 Sep 11. The strategy “aims to strengthen the engagement and interaction between the UK and the Territories”. The present Administration considers that relations with the (14) Overseas Territories are more important than has been the case in the past. Overseas Territories: White Paper to be Published. A Foreign Office Minister confirmed (8 Nov 11) that the Government plans to publish a White Paper (i.e. policy document) on the Overseas Territories in 2012.
Comment: The FCO launched a consultation on the new strategy proposed for the Overseas Territories on 27 Sep 11. The strategy “aims to strengthen the engagement and interaction between the UK and the Territories”. The present Administration considers that relations with the (14) Overseas Territories are more important than has been the case in the past.
09 Nov 11. Defence Committee. The Defence Committee will be publishing The Strategic Defence and Security Review and the National Security Strategy: Government Response to the Committee’s Sixth Report of Session 2010–12, as its Ninth Special Report of Session 2010–12, HC 1639, at 10.00 am on Thursday 10 November 2011. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 11/44, 14 Nov 11)
08 Nov 11. Defence Committee. Select Committee ORAL EVIDENCE:
Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2010-11
Tuesday 15 November 2011
Wilson Room, Portcullis House (room subject to change)
Witnesses:
At 2.30 pm
* Ursula Brennan, Permanent Under-Secretary of State
* Jon Thompson, Director of Finance, Ministry of Defence
House of Lords Written Answers for Thursday 10 November 2011
Armed Forces: Restructuring
Statement
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): My honourable friend the Minister for the Armed Forces (Nick Harvey) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
On 29 June 2010, the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans established a project team to identify and implement the most cost-effective organisational structure for the Army’s regional structure. The strategic defence and security review White Paper1 (SDSR) directed that the four Army regional divisional headquarters would be replaced by a single support command and that at least two of the 10 regional brigade headquarters would close. This capitalised on earlier work which concluded that the rationalisation of the regional structure would principally increase effectiveness with the added benefit of saving resources. On 18 July 2011, the then Secretary of State for Defence announced to the House (Official Report, cols. 66-70WS) that in accordance with SDSR direction it was proposed that the Army’s four regional divisional headquarters2 would be replaced by a single support command. The new formation, commanded by a Major General, would be known as Headquarters Support Command and it would be based in Aldershot. He said that its creation would lead to the disbandment of Headquarters 2nd Division at Edinburgh, Headquarters 4th Division at Aldershot and Headquarters 5th Division at Shrewsbury in 2012. Savings at the regional brigade level would be made through structural changes to each of the 10 regional brigade headquarters and to HQ London District, together with their supporting structures rather than by closing individual brigade headquarters. Today I am announcing that consultation on those proposals has concluded and I have endorsed the approval given by the Army Investment Board to implement the restructuring of the Army’s regional structure. Formal consultation will now commence with the trades unions on the implementation and we plan to begin to stand up the ne