§ Mr. Swinglerasked the Minister of Defence if he will give a statistical analysis of the male intake and wastage of officers and men in the Regular Armed Forces, showing separate figures for the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, and the Army, respectively, by monthly totals for the period January to September, 1947.
§ Mr. AlexanderI regret that statistics are not maintained in precisely the form required by my hon. Friend. I hope, however, that it will be sufficient for his purpose if I indicate the growth of the Regular Forces in this period in the following way:
As regards intake the monthly totals of acceptances (officers and men) for the Regular Forces during the first nine months of 1947 were:
1947. Royal Navy. Army. R.A.F. January 2,826 5,103 6,480 February 2,295 4,796 4,230 March 2,121 4,350 4,130 April 2,422 3,873 4,010 May 1,594 3,709 4,440 June 1,686 3,553 4,000 July 2,136 3,665 3,430 August 1,779 3,006 2,240 September 2,154 3,967 2,470 Total—January September 19,013 36,022 35,430 The strengths of the Regular Forces at the beginning and end of the period were:
— R.N. Army R.A.F. 31.12.1946 … 100,600 126,000 69,500 30. 9.1947 … 109,000 154,200 94,500 The net quarterly increase was as follows:
— R.N. Army R.A.F. 1st qtr. 1947 3,500 10,000* 5,600 2nd qtr. 1947 3,000 10,400* 11,500 3rd qtr. 1947 1,900 7,800 7,900 TOTALS 8,400 28,200 25,000 Note.—There was a change in the method of compiling such statistics in the Army in April. Figures marked* are estimates prepared to give a consistent picture