asked the Minister for Defence the present strength and the annual cost of upkeep of the Civil Defence Force.

According to the returns furnished to my Department in June, 1968, there are 26,000 members on the Civil Defence rolls of local authorities.

Civil Defence Volunteers are enrolled and trained by the local authorities, and the cost is borne partly by these authorities and partly by my Department. The cost of their upkeep includes such elements as administration (central and local), training equipment, clothing, accommodation, weekend camps, field days, transport costs, etc., for which separate records are not kept.

In the circumstances only an approximate figure of cost for the upkeep of the volunteers can be given, and this figure for the current financial year is of the order of £215,000.

Would the Minister be able to give the live membership of this force? Most of us know that a very small number are doing excellent work in training. The remainder of them are just paper numbers.

The returns of the local authorities show a membership of 26,000. Many of these have completed their training and do not attend regularly. About 10,000 are active and upwards of 8,000 attend the annual camp.

The others may not be available.

It is accepted that they are available and, having been trained, should an emergency arise they can be called upon if they are living in the districts where there is a record of them kept.

They may have gone to England.