'No time' for military training

It agreed with a defence committee report which raised concerns about the UK's ability to "fight the next war".

It said: "There is insufficient capacity to conduct a full training programme for general war fighting tasks, particularly for the Army."

Military chiefs have suggested Britain's forces are over-stretched.

Pre-deployment training remained a focus for the Army, but the government said: "Our military personnel, particularly in the Army, are engaged to such an extent on supporting and sustaining our current operational commitments that they do not have the time available to conduct the level of collective training needed to prepare fully for other contingent operations."

"The current position inevitably has a medium to long-term impact on readiness for contingent operations"
Government response to defence select committee report

It warned the committee that it was not a problem that could be fixed by "simply by providing extra resources".

It added: "It is therefore not possible to address this shortfall as the committee seeks without reducing the standard of training and preparation for the operations we are currently fighting.

"We do not think this would be the right thing to do. The current position inevitably has a medium to long-term impact on readiness for contingent operations," it warned.

Conservative MP James Arbuthnot, committee chairman, welcomed the government's "considered response".

"I remain concerned about the impact that the current level of operations is having on the MoD's ability to achieve its performance targets in a range of areas," he said.

"Our Armed Forces are only as good as they are because of their training."

The government recently announced that the remaining troops in Bosnia will be withdrawn, the Iraq force would be reduced by about 1,600, and 1,400 troops would head to Afghanistan.

Mr Arbuthnot said: "While the drawdown of forces in Iraq and the Balkans should help alleviate some of the pressure on manning levels and force readiness, the impact on non-operational training remains.

"If this goes on it is bound to reduce military effectiveness in the longer term."

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