§ 11. Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he can give an estimate of the number of persons now in Great Britain and Northern Ireland of all arms, active reserves, and civilians able to act as pilots of high-speed machines in time of war?
§ Sir P. SASSOONThere are at present some 3,200 regular and non-regular Air Force pilots at home able to fly fast modern service-type aircraft, which I presume the right hon. and gallant Member 1093 has in mind. As regards civilians, it is impracticable to estimate the number at all closely, but it is very limited.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that this figure is the test of the efficiency and strength of our Air Force, and can he see that a larger proportion of those enlisted in the Air Force are able to fly in these particular machines, so that this test figure may be made higher?
§ Sir P. SASSOONI do not altogether know what the right hon. and gallant Gentleman means. All those who are enlisted in the Air Force as pilots are, of course, able to fly.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODBut of all those who are enlisted in the Air Force, only one-tenth or thereabouts are able to fly a machine. I want to know the number of people who can fly machines in the Air Force.
§ Sir P. SASSOONYes, but there are in the Air Force, as in other Services, other duties besides flying.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODBut the real test is: How many fliers have we got?
§ Sir P. SASSOONI have just given the right hon. and gallant Gentleman the figure.
§ 17. Mr. PERKINS (for Lieut.-Colonel GAULT)asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he has any information as to the number of qualified air pilots, both civil and military, in France, Italy, Germany, and Russia, respectively, and what these numbers are?
§ Sir P. SASSOONI am not in a position to give any reliable figures, but the number may perhaps be taken, quite roughly, as about 3,000 in the case of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and between 4,000 and 5,000 in each of the other countries named.