THE officers, men and families of the Green Howards will hardly see it as a Christmas present, but last Friday's Army restructuring announcement was the best that could be hoped for.

Geoff Hoon is one of the most unpopular and poorly-rated ministers in the Cabinet and yet the Defence Secretary appears to have pulled off something of a political masterstroke in announcing cuts in manpower and numbers of single regiments to something approaching grudging approval.

Retaining the identity of North Yorkshire's regiment within a new Yorkshire "super-regiment" avoids sweeping away centuries of proud tradition. That tradition is important, not just in a sentimental or even simple historical sense, but because regimental tradition lies at the heart of why British soldiers have been so effective in many different fields of war over the centuries. It is one reason why we can still say with confidence, slightly dodgy equipment aside, the British soldier is the best in the world.

Whether these cuts in manpower will be ultimately sustainable is questionable. It is right that the Government takes the benefit of the Northern Ireland "peace dividend" but the state of the world means it is harder than ever to estimate the demands the country may wish to make on its armed forces.

Whatever those future demands might be we are sure the proud Green Howards will continue to serve with distinction. It will assist them greatly that they remain a distinct unit, albeit within a new and larger Yorkshire regiment. The links between the new 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) and the people of North Yorkshire and Teesside will remain as strong as ever.