§ 5. Commander Courtneyasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty why no mention of naval reserve and cadet organisations appears in the naval section of the Statement on Defence, 1964.
§ Mr. HayPractice varies from year to year according to the space available. The fact that no mention of naval reserves and cadets was made in the Statement on Defence is of course no reflection on the importance we attach to them.
A comprehensive statement on Royal Naval Reserves and Cadet Forces is given in Appendix III of the Defence (Navy) Estimates, 1964–65.
§ Commander CourtneyWould not my hon. Friend agree that in a year which heralds a considerable future expansion in Her Majesty's Navy it is desirable to place even more emphasis than usual on the reserves and particularly on cadet forces? Secondly, in view of the shortage of Fleet Air Arm flying personnel, to which he has drawn attention, will he consider having an air branch of the naval side of the cadet organisation?
§ Mr. HayI agree with my hon. and gallant Friend that we need to place a good deal of emphasis on the cadet side of our affairs. I should like to consider his suggestion and perhaps have a word with him about it.