I congratulate the hon. Member for Perth (Ms Cunningham) on securing a debate on the potential implications of reductions in the Territorial Army on the third battalion of the Black Watch, which has its headquarters in her constituency. She alluded to the creation of an independent Scotland, but did not say how she would pay for the TA while setting up a separate Army, Navy and Air Force for Scotland. Her sneering references to a mid-life crisis made clear her contempt for our armed services. However, despite her tone, she made some arguments that should be dealt with.

The debate is about the potential implications—I say potential only because no decisions have been taken. Indeed, no proposals have yet been put to Ministers. The Government fully appreciate that this is a period of uncertainty for those in the TA in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK. We are keen to make an announcement as soon as possible. The hon. Lady asked me to depart from my prepared response, which says that she would be the first to criticise us if we did not consult carefully all those concerned before reaching our decision. That is what we are doing and why we do not have a final response. The issues have not been decided before consultations with the Territorial Army have been completed. If we came with a prepared response while the consultation was still under way, the instant accusation in the Chamber would be that the consultations were a meaningless smokescreen.

We deplore the way in which internal consultation documents were leaked and then presented as Government proposals. As my hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces told the House last week—and will no doubt say again in this afternoon's debate on the Army—the Government will return to the House with a statement when a decision has been made. We shall try to do that as soon as possible, after giving proper consideration to all the responses.

The hon. Member for Perth rightly drew attention to the long and distinguished history of the Black Watch, Scotland's senior highland regiment. The Highland Regiment of Foot was formed in 1740 and was known from the beginning as the Black Watch—derived, I understand, from the colour of the tartan and the original task of the companies in keeping watch over the highlands in the aftermath of the Jacobite rising. The regiment now contains one territorial battalion, with a headquarters at Queens barracks in Perth. The battalion has two companies, in Dundee and Kirkcaldy, with a platoon based in Forfar. The Government fully understand the important role that the Black Watch plays in the local community, which the hon. Members for Perth and for North Tayside (Mr. Swinney) have articulated so forcefully.

When considering the potential implications of the reduction in size of the Territorial Army on battalions such as the Black Watch, and how best to minimise the negative impacts for any units that have to close, the Government have a responsibility to bear in mind the full implications of not making the changes. In short, as we said in the strategic defence review, we are looking to the future, not the past.

The current structure of the Territorial Army is based on cold war planning for defence in the event of a major Warsaw pact invasion of western Europe. That role is no longer realistic or credible and the TA must adapt to the new world. The structure is based on the role of territorial defence, particularly of key strategic installations, in the event of a major conflict in central Europe and the need to backfill into such a conflict. That is no longer part of the Ministry of Defence's strategic planning. We must ensure that the TA remains relevant and usable in the current strategic reality and that it is an integral part of the defence capability that the strategic defence review, following wide consultation in the services and beyond, has sought to identify. The TA can no longer have a structure based on the need to meet the threat of general war in Europe—a threat that no longer exists in the short or medium term. It is wasteful and demoralising to maintain forces for a non-existent role. That is why change is required.

We want a Territorial Army that is more fully integrated into the Regular Army and structured to meet today's security concerns. We seek a TA that is properly resourced, and provides career development and educational opportunities for those who wish to volunteer and to serve. We seek a Territorial Army that is trained to operate key battle-winning equipment, such as Challenger, AS90, the multiple-launch rocket system and Rapier, and which offers skills that can be of benefit in civilian employment both to the individual and their employers.

As part of the approach, we shall look to make greater use of the TA for the conduct of military operations than we have in the past. As was made clear in the strategic defence review, we need to be prepared to mobilise the TA more frequently. We did not compulsorily call it out for the Gulf war, but plan to do so for future operations of that scale. In seeking to strike the appropriate balance between the size of our regular forces and that of our reserves, however, we must take into account that, with few exceptions, we cannot expect our reserve forces to undertake operations at short notice or meet on-going day-to-day commitments. The hon. Member for Perth mentioned that greater use of the TA would not be attractive to employers. We know from discussions with employers that the greater level of training that will be provided will be attractive to them.

For the TA as a whole, therefore, the change in its character and role is important and good news. Instead of large numbers of forces planning and training to meet the implausible threat of an imminent strategic attack on the United Kingdom or our NATO allies, we see a force that will contribute to our ability to project military power abroad. The challenge is to prevent the Territorial Army becoming a symbol of the cold war, with no place in the new strategic setting.

The Government are keenly aware of the importance of maintaining the link between the Army—indeed, all the services—and the wider civilian population. That link has been fostered both nationally and locally by the presence of TA units in the community—not least by their support of local cadet forces, to which both the hon. Members for Perth and for North Tayside referred. The training that TA units offer, the values that they instil and the support that they provide in times of civilian crises are all vital functions.

In seeking to introduce such an important change, we are carefully considering all the issues—including those raised by the hon Lady and the hon. Gentleman in this debate. We hope to preserve as wide a presence as possible of the TA—as well as the other voluntary services in the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, which I regret are sometimes forgotten in these debates—throughout the country. To assist us in reaching decisions, we have consulted widely on how the changes should be implemented. In particular, the Territorial Auxiliary and Volunteer Reserve Association, which has important local knowledge, has been fully involved.

It is tribute to the geographical coverage of the Territorial Army that there is a TA centre in the majority of constituencies. That understandably and rightly accounts for the interest that so many hon. Members take in plans for the TA and prospects for their local units, which are an important part of their communities. As well as ensuring that military requirements are met, it is the Government's responsibility to ensure that, as far as possible, the geographical spread should continue, and that all those who wish to offer their services are able to do so.

The geographical footprint of the services is one of the important criterion in evaluation of the proposals. As a result of the Secretary of State's announcement only last week, we have of course increased the visibility of the services in the community by allowing our forces to wear uniforms in their local areas. That is very important. We recognise the TA as a further important part in such visibility, and will consider it in our decisions.

If we are to be successful in implementing the change that is so important, some TA units will have to close or change role. For the reasons that I have given, we can not perpetuate the status quo, nor has there been a realistic argument that the TA should stay as it is.