HL Deb 07 July 1948 vol 157 cc438-42
VISCOUNT BRIDGEMAN

My Lords, I beg to ask His Majesty's Government the second question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

[The question was as follows:

To ask His Majesty's Government—(a) What was the strength, officers and other ranks, male and female, short-service and normal engagements of the regular Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force on the latest date for which this information is available; and (b) the numbers which have been recruited into each Service on short or normal engagements each month between March, 1947, and the date in (a) above.]

THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (VISCOUNT HALL)

My Lords, my right honourable friend the Minister of Defence is proposing to publish at quarterly intervals a Statement of Defence Man-power, copies of which will be made available to your Lordships in the Printed Paper Office. The information for which the noble Lord asks in the first part of his question can, with certain minor exceptions, be found in this Statement. I am sending him a copy of the first of the series. The answer to the second part of the question consists of a table of figures which, with your Lordships' permission, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

VISCOUNT BRIDGEMAN

I thank the noble Viscount for his reply, and I would ask whether he is aware that the Quarterly Statement of Defence Manpower will be very welcome.

Following is the table of figures reffered to:
RECRUITS ACCEPTED FOR THE ARMED FORCES, MARCH 1947–MARCH 1948.
1947. March. April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1948. Jan. Feb. March.
ROYAL NAVY.
Permanent Commissions 25 26 105 40 15 12 136 67 15 11 112 23 10
Short Service Commissions 144 92 32 26 22 100 93 28 10 14 16 3 8
Total Officers accepted 169 118 137 66 37 112 229 95 25 25 128 26 18
Regular Engagements (excluding Bounty) 1,482 1,690 1,029 1,185 1,688 1,404 1,708 1,507 1,145 905 1,474 1,432 1,372
Bounty Engagements 470 614 428 435 411 263 217 264 169 147 127 154 119
Total ratings accepted 1,952 2,304 1,457 1,620 2,099 1,667 1,925 1,771 1,314 1,052 1,601 1,586 1,491
W.R.N.S. Intakes*—Officers 3 1 2 2 4 8 6 1 1 — — — —
Ratings 386 251 458 286 231 222 284 297 339 308 216 197 153
ARMY.
Permanent Commissions 129 120 117 160 130 130 138 89 109 98 71 89 87
Short Service Commissions 306 214 244 177 333 165 194 141 89 53 69 49 83
Total Officers accepted 435 334 361 337 463 295 332 230 198 151 140 138 170
Regular Engagements (excluding Bounty) 2,448 2,403 1,981 2,159 2,182 1,994 2,858 2,616 2,155 1,701 2,346 2,308 1,898
Bounty Engagements 1,467 1,136 1,367 1,057 1,020 717 777 764 547 551 651 796 762
Total other ranks accepted 3,915 3,539 3,348 3,216 3,202 2,711 3,635 3,380 2,702 2,252 2,997 3,104 2,660
A.T.S. Recruits accepted—Officers 98 65 48 41 23 36 32 27 27 16 — 16 14
Other ranks 808 917 702 804 918 774 683 701 516 451 390 404 527
1947 March. April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1948 Jan. Feb. March.
R.A.F.
Permanent Commissions 49 595 297 224 202 92 74 71 61 29 25 10 26
Short Service Commissions 197 314 667 787 998 366 654 563 568 554 280 207 227
Total Officers accepted 246 909 964 1,011 1,200 458 728 634 629 583 305 217 253
Regular Engagements (excluding Bounty) 2,705 2,158 2,441 2,035 1,333 997 954 1,856 802 526 829 1,242 649
Bounty Engagements 1,177 943 1,038 957 896 782 784 704 428 328 367 276 240
Total airmen accepted 3,882 3,101 3,479 2,992 2,229 1,779 1,738 2,560 1,230 854 1,196 1,518 889
W.A.A.F. recruits accepted:—
Officers — — — — — 104 49 56 — 40 — 16 66
Airwomen 772 765 1,437 1,197 1,268 1,102 976 1,315 928 522 569 515 685

Note.—These figures include civilian recruits with or without previous service and those already serving who enter into Regular engagements.

* Recruits to the W.R.N.S. (Ratings) are subject to a short probationary period; there figures show the net intakes.