§ 29. Mr. Hendryasked the Secretary of State for War what percentage of recruits to the Scottish regiments during 1961 came from outside Scotland; and what proportion of these men had family connections with the Scottish regiments.
§ The Secretary of State for War (Mr. John Profumo)In 1961 about 8 per cent. of recruits to Scottish regiments came from outside Scotland. All will have had family or national connections with Scottish regiments.
§ Mr. HendryI thank my right hon. Friend for that reply. Does he not agree that that comparatively high figure is good evidence that these regiments form a most valuable magnet for recruiting to the British Army in this day and age, and that their identity should be maintained and that they should be declared a corps d'élite? Would he be good enough to remind the noble field marshal, who made a rather extraordinary speech recently in another place about tribal areas descending into 1331 the Midlands, that he should be very careful about checking his facts and that the Highland regiments who supported him so gallantly in the war are still of the utmost value to British defence?
§ Mr. ProfumoI agree with what my hon. Friend has said in the latter part of his supplementary question. Recruitment in Scotland is going very well and is nearly 20 per cent. up this year on what it was last year. As the field marshal himself is of Scottish extraction, this seems to be a row between Pict forces in which I would rather not intervene.