§ 17. Mr. Pickthornasked the Minister of Aircraft Production since what date it has been an instruction to persons responsible for production graphs and statistics of production that no aeroplane shall be counted unless there are produced, at the same time, the appropriate tools and spare parts?
§ The Minister of Aircraft Production (Lieut.-Colonel Moore-Brabazon)Spare parts for aircraft are ordered separately on an entirely different delivery schedule from the aeroplane. They are not required to be delivered concurrently with the aeroplane nor are they delivered to the same destination. It is, therefore, impracticable to adopt production statistics in the form mentioned in the Question, and I must apologise to my hon. Friend for any misunderstanding caused by the reply to his Supplementary on a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent (Mr. Ellis Smith), on 1st July, 1941. It may allay any misgiving my hon. Friend may have on this point if I assure him that, in assessing the production capacity of firms, we allocate an adequate percentage of that capacity to the production of spares.
§ Mr. ThorneCan the Minister say whether any component parts find their way to this country from other countries
§ Lieut.-Colonel Moore-BrabazonYes, Sir.