CONFIDENTIAL
2ND DRAFT
PROLONGATION AND WASTAGE
The Royal Navy and Royal Marines
16. While retention in early years remains a problem, the prolonga-
tion rates in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines have remained
encouraging. At the nine year point, some 59% of Royal Navy and
[47% of Royal Marines personnel prolonged their engagements in
the first six months of 1974-75.
Army
17.
Prolongation rates except at the three year point have not changed
appreciably. The decline in the three year rate results mainly from
wastage among the first wave of young entrants to reach age 18, some
of whom have exercised the new option of shortening their engagement.
A steady rise in the proportion of recruits choosing the minimum
commitment of three years service gives cause for concern, as do
higher rates of recruit and trained soldier wastage.
Royal Air Force
18. The planned reduction in trained manpower mentioned in Chapter V
of the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1973 (Cmnd 5231) was
achieved by normal wastage and a small voluntary redundancy scheme.
The rate of prolongation to non-pensionable engagements has shown
little change and has been satisfactory in most ground trades.
However, the objective is to limit the recruiting and training task
by prolonging the average length of service; the re-introduction of
the 15-year engagement has proved a useful addition to the range of
non-pensionable engagements open to ground tradesmen. To maintain
an acceptable age and rank pattern in the ground trades, pensionable
engagements continue to be controlled.
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CONFIDENTIAL