asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated total annual cost to his Department of maintaining the naval recruiting office in State House, Holborn.

About £51,000 per annum of which £43,950 consists of salaries and wages of the 37 Naval and civilian staff. The cost of the Directorate of Naval Recruiting and Naval Careers Service, which is part of the Navy Department Headquarters, also accommodated in State House, is not included in these figures.

Will the Minister say what portion of this staff is responsible for the mere 168 recruits which the centre has so far obtained? In view of the fact that the rent of this accommodation is £12,750 a year, does not it appear that there is a great deal of extravagance? Might not the Navy consider doing its recruiting rather more cheaply?

Perhaps I should have made clear to the hon. Gentleman in my reply on 13th May last that the rent of £12,750 a year is the rent of all the accommodation in State House occupied by the Navy Department and not just that part occupied by the recruiting side of it. There are a number of organisations situated in State House. We found that in the first six months of operation we had approximately 10 times as many recruits, and well over 200 times as many applications and inquiries as in the comparable six-month period last year before we actually occupied this new building, so that I think we are doing jolly well.