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TA training cutbacks 'abandoned' U-turn on TA training cutbacks
(20 minutes later)
The prime minister has agreed to reverse planned £17.5m cuts to the training budget of the Territorial Army, the BBC understands. The prime minister has abandoned plans to impose a £17.5m cut to the training budget of the Territorial Army, the BBC understands.
Labour sources say Gordon Brown met former Defence Secretary John Reid to discuss the issue amid calls from his own party to intervene.Labour sources say Gordon Brown met former Defence Secretary John Reid to discuss the issue amid calls from his own party to intervene.
Tory leader David Cameron raised concerns at last week's Prime Minister's Questions.Tory leader David Cameron raised concerns at last week's Prime Minister's Questions.
On Monday, the government reduced the scale of the cuts from £20m to £17.5m.On Monday, the government reduced the scale of the cuts from £20m to £17.5m.
It backtracked on plans to suspend all routine TA training for six months, offering a compromise of one night a month for personnel not due to be deployed to Afghanistan. It backtracked on plans to suspend all routine TA training for six months and offered a compromise of one night's training each month for personnel not due to be deployed to Afghanistan.
At the moment, most units train one night a week as well as one weekend a month. It is now understood the TA training budget will remain untouched, meaning most units will continue to train one night a week, as well as one weekend a month.
But nearly a dozen Labour MPs publicly criticised the scaling back, a move approved by military chiefs earlier this year to ensure resources were prioritised for the regular army. TA FACTS The TA is made up of volunteers who commit their spare time to training as soldiers and working with the regular army. It is divided into independent units who recruit locally and national units who recruit across the UK. All TA soldiers who are mobilised have their civilian jobs legally protected
Mr Reid and ex-defence aide Eric Joyce were said to be among those expressing concern about the possible impact on recruitment and retention of territorials. The training cutbacks were approved by military chiefs earlier this year to ensure resources were prioritised for the regular army.
He told the BBC he was "absolutely delighted" Mr Brown has "listened to those of us who said it was a wrong thing to do". However Mr Brown changed his mind after nearly a dozen Labour MPs publicly criticised the scaling back.
Mr Reid and former defence aide Eric Joyce - who resigned last month over concerns over military policy - were said to be among those expressing concern about the possible impact on recruitment and retention of territorials.
Mr Reid told the BBC he was "absolutely delighted" Mr Brown had "listened to those of us who said it was a wrong thing to do".
Earlier, another Labour MP, Lindsay Hoyle, called on Mr Brown to intervene due to the scale of opposition.
He also likened the situation to that of the Gurkhas, on which the government had to do a U-turn after it lost a Commons vote on their settlement rights in April.