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| Money worries 'no excuse' for TA Territorial Army members who are called up to help in the war on terror will not be able to avoid going into action because they fear loss of earnings, the Ministry of Defence has said. Up to 140 TA military intelligence experts are being compulsorily mobilised - for the first time since the Suez crisis 45 years ago. According to reports in the Daily Telegraph, only half that figure are being deployed because of complaints from reservists that they may face financial or career problems through having to take time off work. However an MoD spokeswoman told BBC News Online that only about 55 were being deployed at present but this was for "operational reasons" rather than financial considerations. Up to 140 could still be mobilised in total, she said, but fewer TA experts were required at the moment as the "size of the overall force in Afghanistan is less than at first thought". And while requests not to be called up would be assessed on a "case by case basis", it was "unlikely" that financial worries would be considered a reason not to go into action. "If someone has family commitments or is not up to date with their training, then we would be flexible," she said. However, the MoD has also stressed that it would "try to accommodate" those who were concerned about loss of earnings. Reservists who are called up can claim financial assistance to make up the difference between their normal wage and their Army wage. And employers can claim help if they have to replace someone who is mobilised. Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon announced the "compulsory mobilisation order" in the Commons a week ago. Mr Hoon told MPs he had authorised the call-up "to enable the current level of operations to be sustained. The part-time soldiers from 3 (Volunteer) Military Intelligence Battalion will sift through documents captured from the Taleban and al-Qaeda. Those currently being mobilised will be working in the UK with the Defence Intelligence Staff in central London and at the Permanent Joint Headquarters at Northwood, north-west London. The spokeswoman said there were no plans to send any of the 55 reservists to Afghanistan. The mobilisation is expected to last for six months but the MoD said the situation would be kept under constant review. The government has the power to order individual members of the 40,000-strong TA to abandon their civilian jobs for up to a year if the Ministry of Defence requires their services. Their employers must reinstate them in their positions when they return. 21st January 2002 |
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