79. Captain BALFOURasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air the percentage increase or decrease of Air expenditure in 1931, as compared to 1926, for Great Britain, France, and the United States of America; and if the home defence strength of the Royal Air Force at the present time is up to the minimum strength considered essential in 1923 by the Committee of Imperial Defence?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for AIR (Sir Philip Sassoon)Air Estimates for Great Britain are slightly lower in the current year than in 1925. The figures for France and the United States show increases somewhat in excess of 130 per cent. and 150 per cent. respectively, expenditure on civil aviation being included throughout. No account has been taken of any variation which may have occurred in the internal purchasing power of the currencies concerned since 1925. As regards the second part of the question, the scheme approved in 1923 provided for the creation in the first instance of a home defence force of 52 squadrons, of which to date 42 have been formed.