HC Deb 29 October 1970 vol 805 c392
7. Mr. Moyle

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will state the number of commissioned officers holding staff appointments at Army command and district headquarters in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Ian Gilmour

602 officers hold staff appointments or are attached to command or district staffs.

Mr. Moyle

As many military authorities think that there are far too many officers at these headquarters both for the good of the Army and for the good of the officers, will he undertake to conduct an inquiry into the position to see whether the numbers can be reduced, particularly as the Secretary of State feels that there are not enough men in the Armed Forces?

Mr. Gilmour

The hon. Gentleman should remember that the workload also is considerable. The Army command structure in the United Kingdom is under review, and we are hopeful that the results will show that it will be possible to make significant manpower savings.