Patrick Mercer: Report needs to be examined carefully

Tory MP and Military Speaker Patrick Mercer has responded to a report stating that the army is wasting £94 million training young recruits, he said the report needed to be examined carefully.

Tory MP and Military Speaker Patrick Mercer has responded to a report stating that the army is wasting £94 million training young recruits, he said the report needed to be examined carefully.

I commanded 150 Junior Leaders in the 1980s, the majority of whom went on to be first class infantry soldiers.

However, social conditions, financial conditions and recruiting have all changed over the last couple of decades and if it now seems that junior entry soldiers are less than cost effective, the whole issue needs to be looked at.

- PATRICK MERCER, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR NEWARK