§ 19. Mr. Laneasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his assessment of the effect on recruitment of his proposed reduction in defence expenditure.
§ Mr. William RodgersIt is difficult to to say at this stage, but we shall be making it clear that the Services will continue to offer a wide range of career opportunities and require large numbers of recruits.
§ Mr. LaneIn relation to career prospects, does the hon. Gentleman accept that among middle-ranking members of the Royal Air Force, some of whom I met during the recess, there is considerable uneasiness? Does he agree that the human factor may prove even more important than the economic and material factors, particularly if the emphasis in future is to be on quality rather than quantity?
§ Mr. RodgersI would not dissent from that view, but it is worth noting that recruiting so far in the current financial year—a year which has been dominated by the defence review—has been markedly better than during the corresponding period last year. We believe that the position is being held.
§ Mr. WoodallIn view of the proposed defence rundown, will my hon. Friend agree to review the applications made by members of the Services to buy themselves out which have been refused because of their length of service?
§ Mr. RodgersMy hon. Friend has raised a new point and I shall look into it.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerDoes the hon. Gentleman agree that one of the attractions of recruitment at the moment is the way ex-Service men are treated by some local authorities as regards housing at the time of demobilisation? What progress has he made in his talks with the Department of the Environment on this matter?
§ Mr. RodgersAs the right hon. Gentleman suggests, housing has been a problem. I am hoping that a circular will shortly be sent to all local authorities drawing attention to the ways in 180 which they can help in what are genuine human problems.