asked the Minister for Defence if he will supply the following information in respect of (1) the Defence Forces and (2) each of the three services, Army, Naval Service and Air Corps: (a) the strength on the most recent date for which figures are available of (i) officers, (ii) men and (iii) the total; (b) the number of (i) officers, (ii) men and (iii) the total recruited between 30 September 1980 and the most recent date; (c) the number of (i) officers, (ii) men and (iii) the total who left in that period; (d) the net totals, increase or decrease, and the percentage increase or decrease in that period; (e) the establishment strength on those dates; and the percentage which the strength represents of that establishment.
Written Answers. - Defence Forces Statistics.
The information has been up-dated to 31 March 1981 as follows:
(a) Strength of Permanent Defence Force 31 March 1981.
Officers |
Other ranks (including cadets) |
Total |
|
Army |
1,256 |
11,244 |
12,500 |
Naval Service |
88 |
808 |
896 |
Air Corps |
98 |
600 |
698 |
Total |
14,094 |
(b) Numbers recruited from 1 October 1980 to 31 March 1981.
Officers |
14 |
Other Ranks (including Cadets) |
1,468 |
Total |
1,482 |
(c) Numbers who left the Permanent Defence Force for various reasons (discharge, died, transferred to Reserve, etc) from 1 October 1980 to 31 March 1981.
Officers |
37 |
Other Ranks (including Cadets) |
925 |
Total |
962 |
(d) Net increase from 1 October 1980 to 31 March 1981 was 520 or 3.8 per cent.
(e) |
30 September 1980 |
31 March 1981 |
Establishment |
17,790 |
18,021 |
Strength |
13,574 |
14,094 |
Strength as a percentage of Establishment |
76.3 |
78.2 |