§ 69. Sir I. Fraserasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make any statement on the progress of recruiting for the Civil Defence Services; and in which branch, if any, there is particular deficiency.
§ Sir D. Maxwell FyfeOn 30th April, 1952, the number of volunteers in England and Wales was approximately: Civil Defence Corps 195,200, Auxiliary Fire Service 12,000, National Hospital Service Reserve 22,500. The Civil Defence Corps has reached 42 per cent. Of its peace-time establishment and the Auxiliary Fire Service and the National 143W Hospital Service Reserve 19 per cent. and 28 per cent. respectively of their provisional peace-time targets. All three services did better in the first quarter of this year than in the last quarter of 1951, showing an increase of 23,700 compared with one of 20,700. The most serious deficiencies are in the Auxiliary Fire Service and in the Rescue and Pioneer Sections of the Corps.