§ 16. Mr. Mayhewasked the Secretary of State for War what is the current cost of recruiting publicity per recruit; what were the comparable figures for 1959 and 1958; and if he will make a report on his television recruiting campaign.
§ Mr. ProfumoThe current cost of recruiting publicity per recruit based on the first six months of this financial year is £22. Costs for 1959 and 1958 were £19 and £13 respectively. I propose to launch a television recruiting campaign early in the next financial year, and I will certainly consider giving the House a report on its results in due course.
§ Mr. MayhewIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that these figures suggest that his present publicity methods are increasingly ineffective in securing recruits? Is he aware that it would be a welcome change to have some socially useful commercials on I.T.V.? Will he say how much he is planning to spend on this campaign and when he intends to begin it?
§ Mr. ProfumoI regard advertisements of this sort—trying to get recruits for the all-Regular Army—as a socially important matter of its own and I am glad that the hon. Member does not disapprove. It would be improper for me to anticipate my Estimates speech when I shall announce what we shall be spending, 389 but I can say that, although the figure sounds rather high, it includes the cost of all publicity and not just television. Once we get the campaign going and the recruits come in, overheads will remain the same but the cost per recruit will become lower. I hope that that is what will happen.
§ Mr. DribergHas the right hon. Gentleman any evidence yet to indicate whether his recent appearance on "Panorama" had any appreciable impact on the viewers?
§ Mr. ProfumoI have not had anything other than a large number of letters, most of which said that the characters appearing on the programme were appealing, but that the programme was loaded against us.
§ Mr. MayhewHas the right hon. Gentleman considered having commercials appearing in the natural break in "The Army Game"?