§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government, in view of the decline in recruitment for the Army making it unlikely that the Army will be able to fulfil its commitments, what steps they are taking to deal with the situation.]
THE EARL OF ONSLOWMy Lords, I do not accept the premise of the Question. Any fall in numbers must be a mutter for concern; but the recent slight decline follows two years of very good recruiting and there is no reason to suppose that plans for an all-Regular Army may not be fulfilled.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, may I ask the noble Earl whether he is aware that, according to the latest figures in the Printed Paper Office issued by the Minister of Defence, the Regular other ranks strength on April 1, 1960, was 138,400, as compared to a similar strength on April 1, 1959, of 149,961; and whether this decline of 11,561 in the Regular other ranks strength of the Army does not fill him with some foreboding?
THE EARL OF ONSLOWYes, my Lords, I am aware of the difficulties, but I think we must take this matter in due proportion. All these figures are seriously and constantly under review, and I do not think at the moment that we need be unduly worried by the slight fall at this particular period. Naturally the noble Lord knows the figures we set as the target, and I think they will be achieved. If the noble Lord is worried, which he seems to be, at there being any possible chance of reintroducing conscription after 1962, I think I can put his mind at rest. That is not in any way in the Government's mind at the moment.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, the first question which occurs to most of our minds on this matter is, will the strength of the Army be sufficient to cover our commitments and give the proper security? If you are down to a strength of 138,000, would it not be true that, allowing first 6 for the units which are composed of new recruits in training, and allowing for the interchange of stations and the like, you might seriously be endangering the security of your commitments? Therefore, the figure seems to me to be fantastically low in relation to what would have to be provided, even by a voluntary force.
THE EARL OF ONSLOWMy Lords, I think we should all agree, whichever side of the House happened to be in charge of the Government, that we would never allow our security to go to a danger point.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, is the noble Earl aware that if the Army is being run down like this it imposes an enormous burden upon commanding officers of battalions and batteries—and they are the important people who have to "carry the can", and not the War Office. Does the noble Earl not think it is time the Government took this matter far more seriously than they appear to be doing?
THE EARL OF ONSLOWYes, my Lords, I can answer the noble Lord. Having commanded three regiments in my time, I know the wear and tear on commanding officers. From the information I have, I feel that my successors will not be unduly worried.