§ 19 and 22. Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked the Secretary of State for War (1) how many effective aeroplanes ready to start for war at an hour's notice are now in the possession of the Royal Flying Corps; and how many have been delivered since the introduction of the Army Estimates for the current year; and (2)how many effective aeroplanes in the possession of Squadrons Nos. 2, 3 and 4 of the Royal Flying Corps, respectively, have been destroyed or seriously damaged by accident since the 1st of April; and what is the number of new machines of modern type taken over by those squadrons since the same date?
§ Colonel SEELYIt is not considered to be in the interests of the public service to publish the required information.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSSeeing that the right hon. Gentleman has allowed a Member of the other House of Parliament to inquire into this matter, will he permit a couple of Members on this side to go and see these machines?
§ Colonel SEELYI do not know whether there is any use in my giving further replies to the hon. Gentleman. I have repeatedly made statements, and he does not believe any of them. If he asks whether I can give the information which I gave to Lord Montagu to a couple of representative Gentlemen on the other side I should be only too happy to do so.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether I ever suggested that I did not believe him personally, or whether I have not assumed that he was acting on information wrongly supplied by his officers?
§ Colonel SEELYI think that that is even worse, as it implies that distinguished officers in the public service in giving me information deliberately concealed the truth from me. I resent that most strongly on their behalf.
§ 20. Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked what is the condition of the monoplanes which the Royal Flying Corps were forbidden to fly pending the Report of his Committee; whether any of those have yet been flown since the Committee reported; and whether any of the officers of the Royal Flying Corps are allowed to fly Nieuport monoplanes or if they are still considered unsafe?
§ Colonel SEELYI have nothing to add to the information which I gave the hon. Member in reply to questions put by him on this subject on 13th March.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSHave these machines been flown since that date? It is now five weeks after.
§ Colonel SEELYI have said that I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave on 13th March.
§ 21. Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked whether the new Government-built biplane alleged to have flown at a speed of 91 miles per hour, was recently practically destroyed in an accident which was due to the natural instability of the machine and not an engine defect; and whether in that accident Second-lieutenant Geoffrey De Havilland was seriously injured, and is still in hospital?
§ Colonel SEELYThe accident was not due to any inherent instability. I regret to say that Second-lieutenant De Havilland, who has rendered great service in flying different types of machines, was hurt. He is, however, expected to be out of hospital in a few days.