HL Deb 12 January 1987 vol 483 cc362-3

2.58 p.m.

Lord Dean of Beswick

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have applied over the last five years to join the armed forces, how many have been accepted, and how many have been rejected.

The Minister of State for Defence Procurement (Lord Trefgarne)

My Lords, there were nearly 800,000 applications to join the armed forces in the period from 1st April 1981 to September 1986. Over the same period, 167,000 men and women entered the armed forces.

Lord Dean of Beswick

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for that Answer. In simple terms, does that not mean that for every four persons who applied only one applicant was accepted for Her Majesty's forces and that three out of four applicants were refused or not required? Can the Minister explain what the Secretary of State for Defence meant when he said some weeks ago that the implementation of a non-nuclear defence policy may well involve reintroducing conscription? Was he speaking broadly or selectively?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, I think that it is manifestly the case that if we were to replace our existing nuclear deterrent with a comparable non-nuclear deterrent, we would need many thousands more men and women than we have today, and it is certainly our view that that would involve some form of conscription.

Lord Dean of Beswick

My Lords, is the Minister saying that the figure would be in excess of the three out of four people who have been rejected, as some who were of a quite high calibre were simply in excess of requirements? Would the noble Lord like to put a figure on what he is saying, or is he just generalising?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, the selection process that is presently in place is designed to ensure that those people who enter the Armed Forces are competent to carry out their duties after the appropriate training. I do not think there is any evidence to suggest that the large numbers of people who would be required to fulfil the policies of the party opposite could be found by that volunteer means.