Why nominal reservists may be unavailable in a national emergency

Would requiring Treasury staff to serve as financial reservists leave the Royal Navy better off?

Possibly, but officials already needed in civilian roles may be unavailable for call-up, just as many police and health-service reservists were needed in their own jobs during COVID.

Making Treasury staff financial reservists would add nominal strength only if they could leave their civilian duties when needed. The COVID example concerns reservists who were already police officers, health workers, or others essential to their communities. Mobilizing the same people for military service would remove them from work the emergency also required. A small reserve concentrated among highly motivated public-service workers can therefore be harder to use than its headcount suggests. Geographical access to units also narrows who can join, which connects this manpower problem with the later Cornwall example.