§ 4. Sir H. Roperasked the Secretary of State for Air on how many occasions last summer bathers and others in danger of 345 drowning were rescued by Royal Air Force helicopters.
Mr. WardBetween May and September last year, R.A.F. helicopters rescued twenty-eight people in danger of drowning off the coasts of Great Britain. This was, of course, in addition to their primary task of rescuing crews of aircraft forced down over the sea and to the assistance they gave in mountain rescue operations.
§ Sir H. RoperThis rescue work being entirely outside the scope of the normal duties of the Royal Air Force, does my right hon. Friend not agree that the record is a very impressive one? Can he say how many of those rescues took place in Cornwall, and, in particular, how many took place from St. Mawgan Airfield?