Following the events of 11 September, the Secretary of State for Defence announced that the Ministry of Defence would look again at its defence posture to ensure that we have the right concepts, the right forces and the right capabilities to meet the additional challenges we face from international terrorism and asymmetric threats. He described this work as a New Chapter to the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) published in 1998.

In February, the Ministry of Defence published a Discussion Paper on the work, and Mr Hoon invited views from the widest possible audience on the way our overall work on the New Chapter was evolving. We indicated at this stage that we were considering carefully the contribution that Reserves could make. Any changes involving the Reserves would be discussed with the Reserves themselves, in view of the additional commitment that any such changes might entail, and with their employers whose understanding and co-operation is essential to the Volunteer Reserve. That is the aim of this second Discussion Document, builds upon a significant amount of work to consider:

• How much the Armed Forces as a whole, whether Regular or Reserve, should be involved in support of the civil authorities in the response to attacks on the United Kingdom.

• Whether there are ways in which military support to the civil authorities in a crisis can be improved.

• What organisational arrangements would help deliver these improvements.

We have concluded that there is scope for a greater and, in some respects, additional role for the Volunteer Reserves in home defence and security tasks. This would, of course, depend on the willingness of Reservists to add such a role to their existing commitments. Initial soundings indicate that they are. But this Discussion Document is designed to explain our outline concept for their rôle and to invite comments.

Your views count, these are your Armed Forces and we want to know how you think we should best utilise them. We have all been affected by the events of 11 September and this is your opportunity to influence what we do about it.

We would like to hear your views and opinions.

The period for comments has now closed.

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