§ 38. Mr. de Freitasasked the Minister of Defence what investigations he has made into overlapping in the supply and maintenance of aircraft and stores between the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.
§ The Minister of Defence (Sir Walter Monckton)The Ministry of Supply is responsible for supplying aircraft and associated stores both to the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. I am not aware that there is any overlapping, but I should be happy to look into any particular case the hon. Member may have in mind.
As regards maintenance facilities, the special requirements of the two Services and the different conditions in which they operate make it doubtful whether the pooling of their resources would contribute either to economy or to efficiency. I appreciate, however, the anxiety felt by the hon. Member and others on this score, and I have called for reports on this and other related aspects of Service co-ordination.