§ 15. Sir F. Macleanasked the Secretary of State for War, why he has given instructions that recruiting should be restricted for the regiments of the Highland Brigade; and on what other regiments and arms of the Service such restrictions have been imposed.
§ Mr. ProfumoBy the beginning of April last, the Highland Brigade had reached its full strength, and its recruiting has therefore been restricted to the number necessary to replace wastage. Other regiments and arms of the Service which are similarly restricted at present are the Royals, the Greys, Queen's Dragoon Guards, Queen's Own Hussars, Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, 9th/12th Royal Lancers, 15th/19th King's Royal Hussars, 17th/21st Lancers, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Royal Tank Regiment, Green Jackets, R.E.M.E. and R.A.V.C.
§ Sir F. MacleanDoes my right hon. Friend now realise what a mistake he made in liquidating the two Highland Regiments and will he give an undertaking not to liquidate any more?
§ Mr. ProfumoI cannot give any undertaking about the future. All I can say is that I hope that I have shown my hon. Friend that the stopping of recruitment to the Highland Regiments is not a question of treating Scottish Regiments differently from any others. They have done very well in their recruiting and have reached their ceiling; and if recruiting goes on at the present speed 421 we may similarly have to stop other regiments from recruiting.
Mr. B. HarrisonWill my right hon. Friend consider publishing a White Paper so that we may reconcile the statement that he has now made about recruiting with the figures that are published quarterly and also with the statement of the Minister of Defence at meetings such as that recently in Athens?
§ Mr. ProfumoI do not know why my hon. Friend should want any more information. Neither my right hon. Friend the Minister of Defence nor I have ever been loath to try to give the fullest possible figures about recruiting, and I am glad to say they are still keeping up very well.