§ 22. Commander BELLAIRSasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the reduction in the naval personnel from July, 1914, when it stood at 146,047; what is the corresponding reduction from 53,550 in the dockyard personnel: whether the latter figure has been reduced to the same extent as the former; and, if not, will he state the reason?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANAs was stated in the reply of the 16th February to the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, the personnel of the Navy on the 15th July, 1914, numbered 146,047 and on the 15th January, 1927, 101,434. The personnel of the Dockyards (Vote 8) at borne and abroad numbered 48,415 on 1st January, 1927, the latest date for which figures are available. It is anticipated that within the next few months the figure will be reduced by about 3,000. For reasons which have often been stated, the number of civilian staff whether at headquarters or at the dockyards cannot be proportionately related with those of naval personnel.