asked the Minister for Defence the number of officers and other ranks in each military barracks in the country.

I do not consider that it would be in the interests of security to furnish the information requested by the Deputy.

Would the Minister agree that the proportion of other ranks to officers is so low that officers are called upon to do work which has no relation whatsoever to their grading and they are not given——

That is an entirely separate matter.

It has nothing to do with the question.

It is a secret anyway.

48.

asked the Minister for Defence the total number of officers and other ranks currently serving in the Army.

On 31st October, 1966 there were 1,146 officers and 7,105 other ranks serving in the Permanent Defence Force. Of these 38 officers and 347 other ranks were serving in the Naval Service.