§ Mr. MacdonaldTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's assessment of the impact upon the armed forces of the decline in the number of 16 to 19-year-old males in the United Kingdom between 1989 and 1993; and how great his Department assesses that decline to be.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe greatest impact of the decline in the number of 16 to 19-year-old males will be in the recruiting field. The services expect a drop of 10.8 per cent. in the number of potential male other rank recruits and a drop of 5.7 per cent. in the number of potential male officer recruits between 1989 and 1993. Consequently, competition for suitably qualified young men will increase. The services will continue to make every effort to recruit the numbers they require.