Reservists set 'for frontline training'

A review of the Territorial Army is to recommend that up to 5,000 reservists should be trained so that they are ready for frontline duties, it was reported today.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is to ask the Treasury for £150 million to fund the proposal, which could pave the way for thousands of regular soldiers to be sacked, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The findings of a commission appointed by Prime Minister David Cameron in the wake of last year's Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) is to publish its findings on Monday. The MoD refused to comment in advance.

Only one in 20 members of the TA is currently sufficiently trained to be deployed on the frontline. The reserves review is said to be urging the retention of the TA's 36,000 strength, and for about 5,000 - almost one in seven - to be trained up.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "Following the Strategic Defence and Security Review, a series of additional studies has been undertaken to continue the work of transforming and rebalancing Defence.

"We expect to announce the findings of these studies to Parliament next week and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."