HC Deb 31 January 1952 vol 495 cc345-7
21. Mr. Geoffrey de Freitas

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the strength of the Civil Defence Corps and of the Auxiliary Fire Service in the United Kingdom on 31st December, 1951.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Sir David Maxwell Fyfe)

At 31st December; the strengths of the Civil Defence Corps and the Auxiliary Fire Service in England and Wales were 172,238 and 11,200 respectively. I have no personal responsibility in this matter elsewhere, but I am informed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and by the Government of Northern Ireland that the corresponding figures at the same date were: in Scotland, 11,584 for the Civil Defence Corps and 689 for the Auxiliary Fire Service; in Northern Ireland, 1,536 for the Civil Defence Corps and 507 for the Auxiliary Fire Service.

I will circulate detailed figures for England and Wales in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following are the figures:

CIVIL DEFENCE CORPS
Region Increase during December, 1951 Total Strength at 31st December, 1951 Strength per thousand Population
South-Western 784 20,229 6.70
Eastern 856 20,620 6.66
Southern 770 16,670 6.29
South-Eastern 252 12,811 5.01
Northern 399 13,540 4.31
Wales 190 9,259 3.57
Midland 359 15,720 3.56
North-Western 514 20,728 3.25
North-Midland 264 11,090 3.22
London 134 22,056 2.64
North-Eastern 135 9,515 2.32
4,657 172,238 3.94
AUXILIARY FIRE SERVICE
Increase during December, 1951 Total at 31st December, 1951
207 11,200

31. Brigadier Ralph Rayner

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what have been the additions to the respective strength of the Civil Defence Corps and the Auxiliary Fire Service in the United Kingdom since the end of October last.

Sir D. Maxwell Fyfe

In England and Wales the strength of the Civil Defence Corps increased by 12,335 and the strength of the Auxiliary Fire Service by 513 between 31st October and 31st December.

I have no personal responsibility in this matter elsewhere, but I am informed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and by the Government of Northern Ireland that the corresponding figures for the same period were: in Scotland, 1,130 for the Civil Defence Corps and 49 for the Auxiliary Fire Service; in Northern Ireland, 130 for the Civil Defence Corps and 31 for the Auxiliary Fire Service.