asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he can give the total number of coastguards to be borne on the Naval Estimates for the next financial year as compared with the number of coastguards in the year 1914?

The total number of coastguards voted for 1923–24 is as shown in Navy Estimates, namely, 1,142, to be reduced to 69 during the year. There are also 352 coastguards employed in shore stations and included in Part I of Vote A. The total number of coastguards voted in 1914–15 was 3,130.