§ Mr. Batesasked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost in the last financial year of advertising for recruitment to each of the Armed Services for (a) officers and (b) other ranks.
§ Mr. William RodgersThe available information is as follows:
§ Mr. Batesasked the Secretary of State for Defence what were the number of recruits in the last year for which figures are available to each of the Armed Services for (a) officers and (b) other ranks.
§ Mr. William RodgersThe numbers of officers, Service men and Service women recruited during 1973 were as follows:
Officers (including Officers Designate) Servicemen Servicewomen RN/RM … 513 6,788 Army … 727 15,245 RAF … 594 4,231 QARNNS … 48 193 QARANC … 116 326 PMRAFNS … 61 210 WRNS … 27 810 WRAC … 52 1,673 WRAF … 37 1,092 Total … 2,175 30,568
§ Mr. Wellbelovedasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of soldiers in each of the last 10 years who have left the Army under the following headings: bought themselves out, deserted, and absent without leave.
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§ Mr. William RodgersThe numbers of trained soldiers who purchased their discharge during the last 10 years were as follows:
year Trained Soldier Discharge by Purchase 1964 … … … … 2,268 1965 … … … … 3,154 1966 … … … … 3,850 1967 … … … … 3,536 1968 … … … … 4,682 1969 … … … … 4,902 1970 … … … … 5,292 1971 … … … … 4,265 1972 … … … … 3,954 1973 … … … … 5,273 Soldiers who absent themselves without leave or desert are subject to arrest and subsequent prosecution; they are not regarded as having left the Army although they may, in due course, be sentenced to dismissal from the Service by a court martial, or administrative action to discharge them may be taken.
The numbers who were declared illegally absent from their units duringthe last 10 years are shown below:
Year Illegally Absent 1964 … … … … 1,800 1965 … … … … 1,635 1966 … … … … 1,721 1967 … … … … 1,748 1968 … … … … 1,832 1969 … … … … 1,761 1970 … … … … 1,730 1971 … … … … 1,498 1972 … … … … 1,222 1973 … … … … 1,351 The numbers who were convicted of offences of desertion during the last 10 years were as follows:
Year Convicted of Desertion 1964 … … … … 143 1965 … … … … 164 1966 … … … … 175 1967 … … … … 178 1968 … … … … 145 1969 … … … … 114 1970 … … … … 98 1971 … … … … 113 1972 … … … … 76 1973 … … … … 137