To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which unit will back-fill the requirement for the Spearhead Land Element (SLE) if the current SLE is deployed as part of the pan-Balkans Operational Reserve Force. (193223)

The 1st Battalion the Welsh Guards are currently providing the Operational Reserve Force (ORF) with the 2nd Battalion the Royal Ghurkha Rifles undertaking the Spearhead Land Element (SLE) role. Should the ORF be deployed the SLE role will remain with 2nd Battalion the Royal Ghurkha Rifles.

In due course 2nd Battalion The Rifles will take over both the ORF and SLE roles. Should they be required to deploy, the SLE role would be filled by three Commando Bde or alternatively the Small Scale Focused Intervention Battle Group (SSFI BG).