§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish figures for the number of persons currently enrolled in and for the numbers of persons entering and leaving the Royal Observer Corps in each of the years 1979 to 1987; and whether the shortage of personnel is affecting the Royal Observer Corps' ability to perform its operational role.
§ Mr. FreemanI have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Department. The total strength of the Royal Observer Corps as at 31 December 1987 was 10,404. The numbers of persons entering and leaving the corps in each of the years 1979 to 1987 are as follows. There is no evidence to suggest that the current shortfall is having a serious effect on the corps' ability to perform its operational role, although effort continues to he put in to the recruitment of spare-time observers.
Year Entering Leaving 1979 1,223 1,364 1980 2,193 1,260 1981 1,943 1,535 1982 1,617 1,588 1983 1,434 1,747 1984 1,567 1,636 1985 1,334 1,454 1986 1,278 1,585 1987 1,399 1,542