HC Deb 05 November 1936 vol 317 cc262-3W
Mr. G. GRIFFITHS

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has had a report regarding the 33 youths who were physically unfit for the Army on 13th October when he visited Aldershot and put them on a special diet, which included butter three times a day; and, if there is an improvement, will he give the whole Army butter instead of margarine?

Mr. COOPER

A final opinion on the results of this experiment will not be reached till the end of December, but I understand that they are promising. As, however, the substitution of butter for margarine is only one of a number of measures taken with a view to improving the physique of these recruits, no definite conclusion can be drawn regarding the merits of any particular measure.

Mr. DALTON

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will state, for each year since 1920, the number of men from the county of Durham who have offered themselves for recruitment to the Regular Army and the number who have been accepted; and what proportion for each year these figures have borne to the corresponding figures for the whole country?

Recruiting year ended 30th September. Enlistments Durham Recruiting Zone. Total Enlistments for Regular Army. Percentage of Enlistments in Durham Recruiting Zone to Total Enlistments.
1920 … … … 670 14,135 4.7
1921 … … … 703 42,568 1.7
1922 … … … 1,243 40,201 3.0
1923 … … … 988 31,386 3.1
1924 … … … 1,046 30,508 3.4
1925 … … … 1,624 32,005 5.0
1926 … … … 1,612 29,061 5.5
1927 … … … 1,430 27,938 5.1
1928 … … … No figures available.
1929 … … … 841 28,131 2.9
1930 … … … 679 26,500 2.6
1931 … … … 850 34,458 2.5
1932 … … … 656 27,417 2.4
1933 … … … 788 28,841 2.7
1934 … … … 413 25,564 1.6
1935 … … … 555 25,681 2.1
1936 … … … 343 21,975 1.5

Records of the numbers applying to enlist are only available for 1935 add 1936. The figures are as follow:—

Recruiting year ended 30th September. Number applying to enlist in Durham Zone. Total numbers applying to enlist. Percentage of applicants in Durham Zone to total applicants.
1935 … … … 1,263 68,061 1.8
1936 … … … 799 57,712 1.4