HC Deb 13 June 1922 vol 155 c186
9. Captain Viscount CURZON

asked the Secretary of State for Air what is the total number of aeroplanes available for the purposes of national defence, in a case of emergency, in Great Britain, France, Germany, and America?

The SECRETARY of STATE for AIR (Captain Guest)

I would refer my Noble and gallant Friend to the figures given in reply to a question by the hon. Member for East Leyton (Mr. L. Malone) on the 24th February, which showed that some 773 aeroplanes were in active use in the Royal Air Force throughout the world, and that the total number of aeroplanes on the establishment of the Royal Air Force was 1,938. I do not consider it advisable in the public interests to state the number of aeroplanes available for national defence in an emergency, and any information I could give as to the number of aeroplanes available in other countries would have to be discounted in various directions before a comparison could be drawn.

Viscount CURZON

Is this question of the number of aeroplanes immediately available for national defence receiving the consideration of the Committee of Imperial Defence?

Captain GUEST

Yes, Sir, certainly.