§ 2. Mr. Laneasked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on recent trends in naval recruiting.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Peter Kirk)In 1968–69, the Royal Navy, including the Royal Marines, recruited some 4,700 men, the lowest number for many years. Recruitment for 1969–70 showed an increase of 15 per cent., and during the first nine months of the current financial year there has been a marked increase over the same period last year, in the order of 23 per cent.
§ Mr. LaneI thank my hon. Friend for those encouraging figures. Will he confirm that, as a further stimulus to naval recruiting, it is the Government's intention to maintain the widest possible naval presence throughout the world, whatever may be their decisions about particular fixed bases or installations in different areas?
§ Mr. KirkWe have an ocean-going navy and, as my hon. Friend knows, we are maintaining a presence in Singapore and east of Suez generally.