§ 11. Mr. Wiggasked the Secretary of State for War how many Regular officers and other ranks are engaged in training National Service men in the United King-don; and how many are engaged in similar tasks in Germany.
§ 16. Mr. Chetwyndasked the Secretary of State for War how many Regular soldiers are employed in training the National Service men.
§ Mr. HeadThroughout the training organisation, the National Service man trains alongside the Regular recruit and it is not therefore practicable to segregate the training staff dealing with National Service men alone. In the United Kingdom there are some 2,600 Regular officers and 15,000 Regular other ranks employed in the training and administration of about 49,000 Regulars and National Service men. In the British Army of the Rhine, there are no training units and men are trained within their units.
§ Mr. ChetwyndIs the Minister satisfied that these figures represent a fair proportion of trainees to those who are training them, and are steps being taken to reduce the number of people who are doing the training?
§ Mr. HeadThey represent a considerable reduction on a year ago, and I am trying to make the number smaller next year.
§ Mr. ShinwellDoes the right hon. Gentleman not realise that the figures that he has given to the House for the training cadres and the number of men being trained in the United Kingdom disclose that almost half the total number is required to train the number who are being trained and that that surely is a most undesirable position?
§ Mr. HeadNo, Sir, that is not so. Half is quite incorrect. I would point out further that these men are training non-stop throughout the year and are turning out something like 200,000 trained men and that we must have some number left for leave, replacements and. people in the pipe-line and so forth.