TNAG-0539-FCO40-634-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 211

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PROLONGATION AND WASTAGE

The Royal Navy and Royal Marines

15.

The numbers who leave the Service in their early years is

disturbingly high. However, the proportion of those with longer

service who choose to prolong their engagements remains encouraging

and at the nine year point some 55 per cent of the Royal Navy and 45 per cent of the Moyal Marines re-engaged in the first six months of 1974-5.

Army

16.

Prolongation rates except at the three year point have not changed

appreciably in the Army. The decline in the three year rate results

partly from the exits of young entrants who exercised the option

to shorten their engagement at the age of 18. A steady rise in the

proportion of recruits choosing the minimum commitment of three years'

service and the high rates of recruit and trained soldier wastage

give cause for concern.

Royal Air Force

17. 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 of non-pensionable engagements has shown

little change and has been satisfactory in most ground trades.

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.

V-7

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