Press Release: Claire Perry MP Welcomes 5th Battalion, The Rifles, to Westminster

This week Claire Perry met members of Bulford-based OC1 Platoon A Company, 5th Battalion, The Rifles when they visited Westminster for a tour and ministerial meetings. 

As part of 20 Armoured Brigade, the Battalion is relocating from Paderborn, Germany to Bulford in Claire’s Constituency and since formation, the Battalion has deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and spent the summer training in Canada.   The Battalion will also be deployed to Estonia next year.

Claire was able to discuss the current re-basing plans with her visitors and the impact of the £1.2billion that is being spent in the Bulford-Larkhill-Tidworth area on housing, schools, roads, medical and military facilities which will provide a huge economic boost for the local towns, as well as the upcoming deployment of the Battalion to Estonia in 2017.

After the meeting Claire said:

“It was such a pleasure to meet the soldiers and their CO Lt. Loxton, to formally welcome them back to Britain and discuss their move.  We talked about schools, housing and medical services and what the local towns need, and I wished them well on their upcoming deployments.  Making sure that the Government delivers on its promises to ensure that re-basing happens smoothly and our Armed Forces families get the resources they need is one of my key campaigning priorities”.