Nov. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Britain's armed forces are short- staffed, the country's spending watchdog said, adding its voice to concern that commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan have left the military over-stretched.

Shortages are most acute for specialists such as technicians who run the nuclear reactors in submarines, explosive experts, doctors and the Royal Marines Corps, the National Audit Office said in a report released in London.

With 7,200 troops in Iraq and 5,600 in Afghanistan in addition to British commitments in Northern Ireland, the Balkans and Africa, lawmakers are concerned that government is pushing the military too hard. The issue is adding pressure on Prime Minister Tony Blair to set a date to bring forces home from Iraq.

``There simply aren't enough men and women in all parts of the armed forces to meet the planned levels of military activity, never mind enough to cope with the heighten demands'' placed on them, Conservative lawmaker Ed Leigh said in response to the report. ``Given the ferocity of the challenges they face in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan, this is intolerable.''

Recruitment rates have dropped while departures have increased in the past year, the audit office said.

The Ministry of Defense achieved 96 percent of its recruitment target last year, compared with 98 over the previous five years, the audit office said. The number of those leaving the forces increased ``slightly'' to 9,200, with pressures on family life being cited by 49 percent.

`Immense Strain'

``The U.K. has been involved in more military activity than even the most demanding levels it had planned for and that looks like continuing to be the case for years to come,'' Leigh said. ``It must exhaust our service men and women and put immense strain on their personal lives.''

In an effort to reverse the trend, the government said last month that it will begin paying bonuses to soldiers deployed in dangerous areas.

``Workloads on service men and women in some areas are heavy,'' Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office said. It is ``vital that, in addition to the financial incentives offered, the Ministry of Defense maintains its focus on longer- term measures.''

Retaining trained personnel is cheaper than increasing recruiting, the audit report concluded. It estimated the cost of keeping 2,500 soldiers at 74 million pounds ($141 million), compared with a cost of 189 million pounds for finding and training the same number of new people.

To contact the reporters on this story: Mark Deen in London at markdeen@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 2, 2006 19:01 EST