THE plan to expand the Army reserves to compensate for the loss of 20,000 regular soldiers appears to be in disarray.

Latest figures show that the trained strength of the reserves currently stands at 22,010. That represents a net increase of only 30 compared to the previous year.

Since recruitment responsibilities were handed over to a private firm last year, the Territorial Army has actually contracted. Over the same period, thousands of well-trained regular soldiers have been given their marching orders. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has wasted millions on a computer system intended to help the Army recruit online which does not work correctly – and probably will not do so until 2015. Capita, the company overseeing the £400m recruitment contract, is also facing growing resistance from employers unwilling to give staff time off.

Nevertheless, the Government continues to hack away at the defence budget with no notion of what will happen when the regular Army is reduced to 82,000 and the reserves are unable to fill the resultant capability gap.

Four months ago, this newspaper called on the MoD to postpone manpower cuts until the enlarged reserve is ready. The latest recruitment figures strengthen our argument.

Politicians lavish praise on our soldiers when they send them to fight but do not hesitate to cut manpower and equipment budgets when it suits. The Army’s help in holding back flood waters on the Somerset Levels last week was a timely reminder that the Armed Services have an important peacetime role as well. Sacking soldiers while the reserves are critically under strength is playing a dangerous game with the UK’s security.