§ 48. Sir Waldron Smithersasked the Minister of Defence whether, in the light of the existing international situation, he will issue a White Paper giving the present position of the Armed Forces of the Crown under, among other headings, numbers of trained men, length of service, recruits, and the number of ships in commission, of aeroplanes in categories, and of regiments of the British Army.
§ The Minister of Defence (Mr. A. V. Alexander)No, Sir. Considerable information regarding the manpower strength of the Forces is already reported to the House at intervals. The recruiting figures are also notified every quarter. The extent to which further information about the Forces of the kind mentioned by the hon. Member can be published is at present under consideration in connection with the preparation of Service Estimates, and I cannot at the moment say to what extent this may be possible or expedient.
§ Sir W. SmithersWhile I appreciate the difficulty, in the public interest, in publishing these figures, can the right hon. Gentleman give the House an assurance that our Forces are adequate to resist aggression, whether it comes from east or west of the "Iron Curtain"?
§ Mr. AlexanderI think I had better have longer notice of that one.