Army Basing Review 2013

Standard Note: SN06598 Last updated: 3 April 2013

Author: Claire Mills and Louisa Brooke-Holland Section International Affairs and Defence

In July 2012 the MOD announced its plans for the restructuring of the . It was intended as a response to the Strategic Defence and Security Review’s expectations of the Army's future capabilities, the need to reduce the size of the regular Army by 20,000 personnel and to accommodate cuts to the defence budget.

In line with the decision to withdraw all British military personnel from Germany by 2020, those plans offered a number of opportunities for the rationalisation of the defence estate and to reconfigure the military’s footprint in the UK in order to generate capability in the most optimal and cost effective manner.

The outcome of the Army Basing Review was announced on 5 March 2013. This note summarises the main changes envisaged under those plans and where they differ from the previous basing decisions announced in 2011.

This information is provided to Members of Parliament in support of their parliamentary duties and is not intended to address the specific circumstances of any particular individual. It should not be relied upon as being up to date; the law or policies may have changed since it was last updated; and it should not be relied upon as legal or professional advice or as a substitute for it. A suitably qualified professional should be consulted if specific advice or information is required.

This information is provided subject to our general terms and conditions which are available online or may be provided on request in hard copy. Authors are available to discuss the content of this briefing with Members and their staff, but not with the general public. Contents

1 Summary 2

2 Background 3 2.1 SDSR Assumptions 3 2.2 Summary of Basing Changes announced in 2011 3 2.3 Further Personnel Cuts – 2011 4

3 4

4 Army Basing Review - 2013 5 4.1 Regional Laydown 6 4.2 Forces Withdrawing from Germany 6 4.3 8 4.4 Disposals 9 4.5 Costs 9 4.6 Future Basing Plans 10

5 Commentary 10

1 Summary The Army Basing Review is the latest in a series of major announcements by the Government towards a major reconfiguration of the British Army.

Shortly after the Government took office it published the Strategic Defence and Security Review which envisaged a reduction of 7,000 personnel in the Army, the redeployment of British forces personnel from Germany to the UK and a reconfiguration of the Army into five regionally-based multi-role brigades.

The Ministry of Defence announced the outcome of an initial Basing Review in July 2011, based on the decisions made in the SDSR. Among its main decisions were the transfer of a number of RAF stations to the Army, the locations of the five multi-role brigades and the expectation that approximately 6,500-7.000 personnel returning from Germany would be based in Scotland.

In July 2011 further reductions in personnel numbers were also announced, the full details of which were outlined in the Army 2020 announcement in July 2012.This identified the units that were to be disbanded or merged and a new reconfiguration based on two distinct elements: a reaction force and an adaptable force. This was a move away from the five multi- role battalions originally envisaged under the SDSR. Altogether, the size of the regular Army is to be reduced by 20,000 personnel.

2 The Army Basing Review announced on 5 March 2013 is based on the new Army 2020 plan outlined in July 2012. Two key principles guided the Review: that the armoured infantry brigades should be centred round a single location, and the Army should retain a UK-wide presence. The Basing Review envisages an Army increasingly consolidated around seven centres in the UK with the closure of a number of bases, a faster withdrawal from Germany and an end to the culture of routine rotation in the UK. The Government has committed £1.8 billion to the new basing plan, of which £1 billion will be spent on new accommodation. Much of the reaction to the basing plan focused on the implications for Scotland ahead of an independence referendum in 2014.

A further basing plan, for the Reserves, is expected to be announced before the summer recess. Future basing plans for other services, the training estate and logistics operations are expected to be announced over the course of 2013.

2 Background 2.1 SDSR Assumptions The 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review made a number of recommendations for the reconfiguration of the Armed Forces by 2020, which offered opportunities for the future rationalisation of the defence estate. Among those changes were the decisions to reduce the number of Armed Forces personnel by 17,000 by 2015,1 reconfigure the Army into five regionally-based multi-role brigades, structure the RAF around fewer fast jet platforms and re-deploy British forces personnel currently based in Germany, back to the UK by 2020.

2.2 Summary of Basing Changes announced in 20112 On the basis of those decisions the MOD announced the outcome of its defence basing review in July 2011. However, it reiterated that more detailed planning would be required on the timeframe for the effective drawdown of troops in Germany and which units would locate to which sites.

Among the main decisions of the 2011 basing review were:

• RAF Kinloss and RAF would transfer to the Army. Some personnel returning from Germany would be based at Kinloss from 2014-15; while two major units and a formation HQ would re-deploy to Leuchars from Germany after 2015. The number of military personnel based at Leuchars was earmarked to increase from the current level of 1,200 to more than 1,300.

• RAF Cottesmore would be transferred to the Army in 2014.

• The five multi-role brigades (MRB) would be located in and around Catterick and Salisbury, at RAF Cottesmore and in Scotland, largely in Glencorse and Kirknewton, which would be developed into a major army base. The MRB in Cottesmore and Scotland would be largely formed from units returning from Germany.

• 45 Commando, Royal Marines would be re-deployed from Arbroath to South West England in 2015-16.

1 7,000 personnel from the Army and 5,000 personnel from the Royal Navy and RAF 2 More detailed information is available in Library briefing SN06038, Defence Basing Review, November 2011

3 • Defence technical training, involving 1,500 posts, would move to the former RAF base at Lyneham.

As a result of these changes approximately 6,500-7,000 of the Army personnel currently based in Germany were expected to be based in Scotland, and as a result the overall defence footprint in Scotland would increase by over 2,000 posts. However, as the then Secretary of State for Defence, , commented in the House:

It is impossible to give an exact number, but I would imagine that between 6,500 and 7,000, or something of that order, of the 20,000 personnel we currently have in Germany will be coming back to the multi-role brigades in Scotland. The precise number and lay-down will be subject to the plans that the Army will bring forward in the months and years ahead, assuming of course that we have the agreement of the local authorities and the Scottish Government.3

The 2011 review also identified the following sites for disposal:

• Camp, Redford and Dreghorn Barracks in by 2014-15.

• Waterbeach Barracks in Cambridgeshire.

• Arborfield garrison and Bordon garrison by 2014-15.

2.3 Further Personnel Cuts – 2011 Following a further period of review, in July 2011 the then Defence Secretary, Liam Fox, announced a further reduction in the number of army personnel that would contribute to Future Force 2020. The new assumptions envisaged a future army strength of around 120,000, by 2020, based on a regular to reserve ratio of around 70:30.4 This has since been refined by Defence Ministers as meaning a trained strength of 82,000 Regulars and at least 30,000 Reserves, with a training margin of 8,000 Reserves.5

3 Army 20206 Nearly two years after the SDSR, the Ministry of Defence announced a major re-structuring of the British Army in July 2012. It was intended as a response to the SDSR's expectations of the Army's future capabilities, the need to reduce the size of the regular Army by 20,000 personnel and to accommodate cuts to the defence budget.

The resulting document Army 2020 set out a number of recommendations for the configuration of the Army, some of which altered the original assumptions of the SDSR. The key changes were:

• Restructuring the army into two distinct elements: a reaction force and an adaptable force. In a move away from the five multi-role battalions originally envisaged under the SDSR, the Reaction Force will provide a high readiness force based around 16 Air Assault brigade and three armoured infantry brigades under a divisional headquarters with associated enablers. The Adaptable Force will be a pool of Regular

3 HC Deb 18 July 2011, c655 4 HC Deb 18 July 2011, c644 5 HC Deb 19 January 2012, c939W 6 For further information on Army 2020 see Library briefing SN06396, Army 2020, July 2012

4 and Reserve units commanded by seven infantry brigade headquarters during peacetime for training and administrative purposes. A force package will be selected from across the pool of forces for an operation depending on the capabilities required.

• An integrated Army of Regulars and Reserves

• A future army strength of 120,000: 82,000 regulars, 30,000 reserves and 8,000 reserves in training

• 17 fewer major units in the Army with a reduction of 23 units from the Order of Battle in total by disbanding and merging several units.

In line with the original intention to locate the MRB on a regional basis, the geographical laydown of the brigade structure set out in Army 2020 will also concentrate the Army in a number of main operating locations around the UK. Of the 7 infantry brigades of the Adaptable Force:

• 1 x in Scotland

• 1 x in Northern Ireland

• 1 x in Wales

• 4 x in England (North West, North East, East and London)

Brigades of the Reaction force will be based in Colchester (16 Air Assault Brigade) and around Salisbury Plain Training Area (3 armoured infantry brigades)

Forces will be supported by:

• Signal Brigade in West of England (Force and Logistic Troop Brigade headquarters)

• Artillery Brigade in South-West England (Adaptable Force Brigade Headquarters)

• Logistic Support Brigade – South England (Force and Logistic Troop Brigade headquarters)

• Engineer Brigade – South East England (Force and Logistic Troop Brigade headquarters)

A map depicting the expected geographical laydown under Army 2020 is available on page 11 of the following document: Transforming the British Army, July 2012.

4 Army Basing Review - 2013 On 5 March 2013 the MOD announced the details of its basing plan for the Army. Although largely motivated by the withdrawal of British forces from Germany over the next few years, the basing plan has also been informed by the need for military capability to be generated in the most optimal and cost effective way. Two key principles have therefore guided decision making. First, that the armoured infantry brigades should be centred round a single location, thereby enabling them to train and fight more effectively and to offer opportunities for efficiency in equipment support and people management. And second, that the Army should

5 retain a UK-wide presence in order to maintain its links to civil society, foster links between the Regulars and Reserves and support nationwide recruitment and engagement.7

A number of the decisions announced in 2011 (see section 1.2) have therefore been revised. As the Secretary of State for Defence, noted in his statement to the House:

Plans have been significantly refined over the intervening 18 months and reflect the fully developed military advice on the optimum affordable basing lay-down to accommodate the Army in the future strategy.8

The following is a summary of the key basing decisions announced at the beginning of March 2013, highlighting, where relevant, any changes to the initial decisions that were made in 2011. A full list of intended moves, including constituency locations and estimated dates for re-location is available at: Regular Army Basing Plan – 5 March 2013.

4.1 Regional Laydown The Army will be increasingly consolidated around seven centres in the UK:

• Salisbury Plain Training Area (Tidworth, Bulford, Larkhill, Warminster, Perham Down and Upavon) – 15,000 personnel.

• North East – centred on Catterick but also including York, Dishforth, Topcliffe and Harlow Hill. 7,500 personnel.

• Aldershot – 4,200 personnel.

• Edinburgh and Leuchars – 4,000 personnel.

• East of England – Colchester and Swanton Morley – 3,500 personnel.

• West Midlands – Stafford and Donnington – 3,200 personnel

• East Midlands – Cottesmore and North Luffenham – 5,800 personnel.9

A regional presence will also be maintained in other parts of the UK, including Wales and Northern Ireland where overall personnel numbers are expected to reduce by 400.10

It is intended that consolidation around a small number of locations will end the culture of routine rotation in the UK (what used to be referred to as the Infantry Arms Plot) and provide greater stability to Service personnel and their families, in terms of children’s education, spousal employment and increased home ownership.

4.2 Forces Withdrawing from Germany Under initial plans, half of the remaining forces in Germany (approximately 10,000 personnel) were expected to return to the UK by 2015, with the aim of withdrawing all forces by 2020.

Those targets have subsequently been revised under the Army Basing Plan, with 70% of all personnel now expected to be returned to the UK by 2015. Only 4,400 personnel of 20

7 HC Deb 5 March 2013, c846 8 Ibid, c845 9 British Army, Major Army Sites 10 A significant proportion of those reductions in Wales and Northern Ireland will be the result, however, of the civilianisation of search and rescue from 2015-2016 onwards.

6 Armoured Brigade will remain by Christmas 2016. Those remaining personnel are currently earmarked to return to the UK in 2018-19.11

The main locations for troops returning from Germany will be as follows:

Cottesmore

• 7 Force Logistic , Royal Logistics Corp – 2013

North Luffenham

• 2 Medical Regiment – 2015

• 1 Military Working Dogs Regiment – 2015

Grantham

• HQ 102 Logistic Brigade – not before 2015

Leuchars

• Royal Scots Dragoon Guards – 2015

• 2 Close Support Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – not before 2015

Catterick

• 1 Military Intelligence Battalion - 2015

• 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland – 2015

• 1 Regiment, Royal Military Police – not before 2015

• Royal Lancers12 – 2015

• 32 Engineer Regiment – 2015

Dishforth

• 6 Force Logistic Regiment, Royal Logistics Corp – not before 2016

York

• HQ 1st (UK) Division – 2015

Albemarle

• 3rd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery - 2015

Stafford

• 16 Signal Regiment – 2015

11 HC Deb 5 March 2013, c845 and c850 12 Formed from the amalgamation of 9th/12th Royal Lancers and The Queen’s Royal Lancers

7 • 1 Signal Regiment - 2015

Bicester

• 1 Close Support Logistics Regiment, Royal logistics Corp – 2016

Larkhill

• 26 Regiment, – not before 2017

Perham Down

• 35 Engineer Regiment – not before 2017

Bulford

• 1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment – not before 2017

• 5th Battalion, – not before 2016

• HQ 20 Armoured Brigade – not before 2017

Tidworth

• 3 Armoured Close Support Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – not before 2017

• The Queen’s Royal Hussars (Queen’s Own and Royal Irish)– not before 2017

• 1 Armoured Medical Regiment – not before 2017

Swanton Morley

• 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards – 2015

Yeovilton

• 1 Regiment Army Air Corps – 2015-16

2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment will also re-locate from Germany to Cyprus later this year.

4.3 Scotland The 2011 basing plans had originally envisaged the re-location of 6,500-7,000 personnel currently based in Germany, to bases in Scotland, primarily RAF Kinloss, RAF Leuchars and a new Army base that was to be established at Kirknewton. Specifically, two major units and a formation HQ were expected to re-deploy to Leuchars. Craigiehall Camp, and Redford and Dreghorn Barracks in Edinburgh were to be disposed of by 2014-15.

Under the new basing plans Edinburgh and the former RAF base at Leuchars will now be one of the seven centres of consolidation in the UK.

• Kirknewton will no longer be developed as an Army base.

8 • Dreghorn Barracks in Edinburgh will no longer be disposed of and will remain an Army site. Elements of Redford Barracks in Edinburgh will also be retained.

• HQ 51st Infantry Brigade and HQ Scotland will move from Stirling to Redford Barracks in Edinburgh. Elements of Forthside Barracks in Stirling will therefore be disposed of.

• Approximately 4,000 personnel will be based in Edinburgh and Leuchars, including an additional 600 personnel returning from Germany.13

• The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and 2 Close Support Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers will move from Germany to Leuchars in 2015.

• 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland will re-locate from Scotland to Belfast in 2014.

In addition, 45 Commando Royal Marines will remain in Arbroath for the foreseeable future. Under the 2011 plans 45 Commando was earmarked to re-locate to the South West of England in 2015-16.

Leuchars will also retain an operational runway, largely as a diversionary runway for the Typhoon squadrons based at RAF Lossiemouth. A contingent of approximately 50 RAF personnel will therefore remain at the base.

4.4 Disposals As a result of the 2013 basing plan the following sites will be disposed of:

• Howe barracks in Canterbury.

• Claro Barracks in Ripon.

• Parts of Copthorne Barracks in Shrewsbury.

• Elements of Redford Barracks in Edinburgh and Forthside Barracks in Stirling. Craigiehall Camp in Edinburgh, which was originally identified in 2011, remains earmarked for disposal.

• Cawdor Barracks in Brawdy, Wales.

Options for vacating Hyde Park Barracks in central London will also be examined.

4.5 Costs The Ministry of Defence has committed £1.8 billion for the basing plan, of which £1 billion will be spend on new accommodation. The new accommodation involves around 1,900 new family homes, 7,800 new rooms for single soldiers and upgrades to 800 rooms for single soldiers and 450 homes for families. The rest will be spent on technical infrastructure. Over £800 million will be spent at the Salisbury plain training area which will be developed as one of the core seven sites in the UK, the home to all three armoured infantry brigades. The

13 Statistics on the number of MOD military and civilian personnel based in Scotland are available in section 5 of Quarterly Location Statistics

9 Defence Secretary stated the new build and refurbished accommodation will be “to the highest grade 1 standard”.14

The Defence Secretary also said the plan will produce annual savings of £240 million in reduced costs and “improved efficiency of training and maintenance operations”, which is “on top of the £100 million plus annual saving generated by the previously announced moves from Germany.”15 Mr Hammond further said the £240 million savings target will be achieved by 2019 but will “start to accrue immediately, within the next year”, as soon as the drawdown of infrastructure in Germany begins.16

4.6 Future Basing Plans The plans for the basing of the Reserves and the future basing plans of the other services, the training estate and logistics operations are expected to be announced over the course of 2013.

The Government has indicated that future basing plans for the Reserves will be announced before the summer recess.17

5 Commentary Much of the commentary around the basing announcement has focused on the implications for Scotland ahead of an independence referendum in 2014, and in particular accusations of a ‘U-turn’ by the Government over the number of additional troops that will now be based in Scotland.

During the statement on 5 March 2013, Shadow Defence Secretary, Jim Murphy, suggested:

The armed forces remain crucial to Scotland’s future but today the Government have reneged on their promise. Although there is positive news about the return of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and the Royal Marines staying in Arbroath, a previous pledge of thousands more troops to Scotland has become a plan for just hundreds. This is a real blow to Scotland and will not be forgotten.18

Defence Spokesman for the SNP, Angus Robertson, also accused the Government of “breaking a raft of defence promises in relation to Scotland”.19 He went on to state:

These u-turns, betrayals and broken promises show once and for all that Scotland defence needs are simply not met by Westminster politicians and that a ‘Yes’ vote in 2014 is essential to make Scotland’s defence fit for purpose.20

In a letter to the Prime Minister, First Minister Alex Salmond also argued:

The announcement by Philip Hammond this week therefore breaks your government’s bond of trust with the people of Scotland...

14 HC Deb 5 March 2013 c854 15 HC Deb 5 March 2013 c845 16 HC Deb 5 March 2013 c850 17 HC Deb 5 March 2013, c847 18 HC Deb 5 March 2013, c849 19 Ibid, c854 20 “Ministers deny SNP propaganda victory in defence basing row”, The Daily Telegraph, 6 March 2013

10 Breaking the overall commitment on increased Army numbers means a range of specific commitments by Dr Fox will not now be met, including for significant additional investment in Army barracks and training estate in Scotland. It also means that across Scotland individual communities will feel deeply aggrieved. That includes both Kinloss and Leuchars where it is now clear that Army numbers to replace the RAF will not match those promised. It also includes communities in and around Edinburgh, where people are coming to terms with the confirmation that two major Army facilities will, at least in part, close...

This process has irrevocably shattered any remaining claim that your government had to taking forward the best interests of Scotland.

The full text of that letter has been reproduced in The Scotsman, 19 March 2013.

Responding to the allegations of a ‘U-turn’ the Secretary of State, Philip Hammond, argued in the House:

The right hon. Gentleman mentioned the reference to thousands of additional troops going to Scotland. That was when we were still talking of a 94,000-strong Army. The end result in dealing with the legacy that we inherited from the Labour party was an 82,000-strong Army, which is affordable and sustainable, and can be properly equipped and supported... 21

In a response to Alex Salmond’s letter, the Prime Minister also provided the following justification:

There have indeed been changes to what was originally envisaged in July 2011. The evolution of the original plans is however driven by changes to circumstances and operational concepts, not by any lessening of commitment to Scotland’s vitally important contribution to our collective security.

The plans set out two years ago were on the basis of the Army operating a multi-role brigade structure. Under Army 2020, announced last July, there will be a significant restructuring of the Army based on two key elements – Reaction Force brigades based on Salisbury Plain and at Colchester, and regionally based Adaptable Force brigades.

Scotland will be one of the Army’s seven centres of gravityand home to one of the larger Adaptable Force brigades, with army numbers in Scotland increasing by around a quarter on July 2011 levels and significant concentrations of troops at Leuchars, Edinburgh and other sites across Scotland.

He went on to comment:

What this means for Scotland is that total military personnel numbers are set to increase to their highest levels since 2007, before the financial crash, at a time when we’re planning for smaller armed forces overall. Scotland will be home to one of the UK’s three main naval bases and to one of its three main fast jet operating bases. There will be around £100m of additional investment in Scotland. This builds on the £140m the MOD spends on average annually to maintain the defence estate in Scotland, some £85m to develop Lossiemouth as an RAF Main Operating Base for Typhoon and the hundreds of millions of pounds of planned future investment in Faslane. These are all visible signs of our commitment to Scotland and to Scotland’s continued vital role in our defence...

21 HC Deb 5 March 2013, c851

11 Also, while the location of the UK’s Armed Forces is decided purely on military requirements, our planned number of armed forces in Scotland will still be proportionate to Scotland’s population.

Finally, I think it is important for the referendum debate for people to understand that the outcome you seek for Scotland is the end of centuries of our shared British military effort, and the footprint of this military capability in Scotland.22

A Downing Street Spokesman also added:

We have yet to see credible projections, including any put forward by the Scottish Government, which would maintain a military presence in an independent Scotland on the same scale as the plans we have set out.23

22 http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/prime-ministers-letter-to-alex-salmond/ 23 As reported in “David Cameron attacks Alex Salmond over defence ‘betrayal’ claim, The Daily Telegraph, 12 March 2013

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