HC Deb 31 May 1961 vol 641 cc233-5
20. Mr. Mayhew

asked the Secretary of State for War what increases in air mobility have been achieved by the Army during the past twelve months.

man about the cost without notice. I said that I thought that it was worth while because we would not like our soldiers to suffer. There has been full consultation with the Treasury in this matter.

The following are the details:

Mr. Profumo

Air mobility depends primarily on the provision of aircraft. Details of the numbers and types of transport aircraft in service and about to come into service with the Royal Air Force were given in the Memorandum on Air Estimates presented by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Air in February this year.

Mr. Mayhew

Will the right hon. Gentleman accept that considerable economies can be made in Army manpower and in money spent overseas by the provision of modern, long-range air freighters and transports? What has he done to bring this more quickly into service? Have we to wait until 1965 before the "Belfast" comes into operation?

Mr. Profumo

As the hon. Gentleman knows, the provision of aircraft is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Air, and he had better put a Question about that to my right hon. Friend. Both my right hon. Friend the Minister of Defence and I, as well as the Secretary of State for Air, are anxious about this matter, and are doing everything we can to see that the things the hon. Member asks about do happen.

Mr. Cronin

According to the Memorandum on the Air Estimates, there is no transport aircraft which has a payload of more than 35,000 lbs. Therefore, is it not the case that the Army is still incapable of carrying its really heavy equipment by air?

Mr. Profumo

That is not true. No Army can carry all its really heavy equipment—not even the United States Army. The object of air mobility is not to carry a whole Army by air but advance parties to trouble spots. Because we cannot carry all our heavy equipment—quite probably, never will be able to do so—we have local and theatre stockpiles to meet that very point.