'No decision on Scots regiments'

Campaigners have opposed the original MoD proposals

Tony Blair has insisted no decision has yet been made on the future of Scottish regiments such as the Black Watch.

The prime minister was speaking after press reports that he was considering a plan to save the majority of the Scottish infantry regiments.

Tory leader Michael Howard said the government's policy on the issue was a "shambles" but Mr Blair hit back accusing him of "shabby opportunism".

Earlier MPs paid tribute to the latest Black Watch casualty in Iraq.

Announcement soon?

Mr Howard said the courage and dedication of the Black Watch should not be rewarded by "abolishing the regiment".

Mr Blair replied: "It is important that the Army are allowed to make their decision in the right way. They will announce it shortly."

A blueprint for saving the regiments by Eric Joyce MP would involve the merger of the Royal Scots and the King's Own Scottish Borderers, while preserving the other regiments.

Such a move would be an attempt to end the controversy over calls to create a single super-regiment.

Last month the Council of Scottish Colonels proposed the merger of the Royal Scots and the King's Own Scottish Borderers into a single battalion - one of five in the super-regiment.

Mr Blair is aware of the anger at the proposals, with critics concerned that the move will mean the loss of the Scottish regiments' historic identities.

The regimental identities of the Black Watch, the Highlanders, the Argylls, the RHF and a merged regiment should remain intact Eric Joyce MP

Save Our Scottish Regiments protesters organised meetings across the country and have gathered tens of thousands of signatures on a petition against the cuts.

Scottish MPs were briefed on Tuesday night on what could be a compromise solution.

Under the proposals, the Black Watch, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, the Royal Highland Fusiliers and the Highlanders would maintain their separate identities.

Mr Joyce, the MP for Falkirk West, said: "I have simply put a few arguments among colleagues and put it up to people in government that I think we can fully retain the identities of five regiments and the Ministry of Defence can modernise the structures at Scottish level.

"I think the government is prepared to listen to backbenchers and I probably represent the common view among my Labour colleagues.

"The regimental integrity is important not just to troops but to people in Scotland.

'Serious consideration'

"The Scottish division can remain with its identity, but the overarching sum of the regimental functions can be put into a collective headquarters, a larger one which works across the whole Scottish division.

"At the moment the current regimental headquarters are rather small to have a functional capacity."

The leader of the Scottish National Party, Alex Salmond, said there was no cause to celebrate at this time and a lot more detail would need to be seen.

"If the government is buckling under pressure then that has to be welcomed.

Alex Salmond said there is no cause to celebrate yet

"However, we don't want them (the regiments) to be saved in name only, we want something substantial which protects the identity of the regiment.

"We have a situation where feelings are running high about the war and the deployment of the Black Watch who are being stabbed in the back and merged out of existence while they stand in the line of fire. "

He added that people should not grab at the first sign of change.

Mr Joyce admitted that under his plan, the Royal Scots would "come to end because of their recruiting problem".

He added: "The regimental identities of the Black Watch, the Highlanders, the Argylls, the RHF and a merged regiment should remain intact.

"I think the position at the moment, as far as the MoD is concerned, is that they will make a decision in the next few weeks and hopefully they will take these opinions into account."

Well-placed government sources say the move is being "seriously considered" but emphasise that no final decision has yet been taken.