Royal Welsh battalions merged as part of Army cuts

The British Army is currently made up of 136 units, but 17 of those will disappear - including the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Welsh Regiment, which will be merged with the 1st battalion to create the Royal Welsh Regiment. This will happen after Autumn 2013.

The Queen's Dragoon Guards, otherwise known as the Welsh Cavalry, are saved, along with the Welsh Guards.

The Army will look to reduce its numbers to 82,000 full-time personnel, but no numbers for individual regiments have been announced.

Some of the 14th Signals Regiment are based in Pembrokeshire, but the Minister said no decisions on the locations of bases and any closures have been taken as a review will be conducted in future. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said this decision respects the past but looks firmly to the future.

The Minister also said the United Kingdom has the forth largest defence budget in the world, but said savings had to be made - but he understood morale is fragile within the forces at the moment.

Labour MP Huw Irranca-Davies responded to the Minister's statement by paying tribute to those who campaigned to keep the Welsh Cavalry, but said he was disappointed with the loss of the 2nd Royal Welsh.

Are these cuts needed, or do they go too far?

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