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Royal Navy (Recruitment)

Volume 928: debated on Tuesday 22 March 1977

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2.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the budgeted figure for expenditure on adver- tising for recruitment to the Royal Navy in the current year.

The Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Air Force
(Mr. James Wellbeloved)

About £874,000 will be spent in the current financial year. This figure includes advertising for the Royal Marines, the Women's Royal Naval Service and Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service. All but a very small proportion of this expenditure is borne on the votes of the Central Office of Information.

I thank the Minister for that reply. Does he agree that it is unethical and blatantly dishonest to advertise contracts of service on which, in the case of gratuities for Royal Navy pilots, the Government are prepared to welsh? Is it not disgraceful that for so long the Secretary of State has remained silent and refused to refute these suggestions?

I am sorry that the hon. Gentleman used such extravagant language when my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Navy has just told the House that if my right hon. Friend catches Mr. Speaker's eye he will be making a statement in the course of the debate this afternoon. There has not been, and will not be, any question of this Government welshing on any undertakings.

Will my hon. Friend make certain that none of the television advertising for the Navy or any of the other Armed Forces conveys, either directly or indirectly, the impression that jobs in industry, which are vital to national recovery, are in any way monotonous or humdrum?

I do not believe that our advertising conveys that impression. What we are seeking to do in our advertising for recruitment to the Armed Forces is to demonstrate and make clear to young men and women that if they do join the Armed Forces of the Crown they will be entering upon an honourable and exciting career.