HC Deb 26 February 1952 vol 496 cc916-7
15. Mr. M. Stewart

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will publish an annual report on Army recruiting similar to that issued annually before the war.

Mr. Head

The annual report referred to was very long and detailed. The effort and expense of its publication are not justified at the present time: but, if the hon. Member has any particular information in mind, I will consider making it available to the House.

Mr. Stewart

But is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in these reports one can obtain very interesting information about the numbers of men applying to get into the Army in the years before the war, which some of the right hon. Gentlemen's hon. Friends were saying they could not find in a debate recently; and that a comparison of those figures with figures for unemployment in the same years is of very great interest?

Mr. Head

I willingly acknowledge that, and I should like to take this opportunity of saying to the hon. Gentleman that in the debate on that subject I was wrong.