§ 1. Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the state of combat readiness of the Royal Air Force in Germany; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Air Force (Mr. James Wellbeloved)The state of combat readiness of our units in RAF Germany meets or exceeds the requirements laid down by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe. Alliance representatives carry out tactical evaluation checks without prior warning to confirm that these requirements are being fully met. RAF Germany has consistently achieved the highest standards in these tests.
§ Mr. GeorgeWill my hon. Friend confirm or refute the allegations recently made that the RAF in Germany lacks sufficient arms, ammunition and spare parts, that in the event of a conflict there would be delay in resupplying ammunition, and that RAF fighters' lack of sufficient electronic counter-devices and missiles makes them vulnerable to enemy attack?
§ Mr. WellbelovedI am happy to be able to refute those suggestions. The RAF ammunition and spares stocks in Germany are sufficient to meet NATO requirements. However, if the Supreme Allied Commander were to change those requirements, in the light of any developments we would of course review and evaluate what changes might be necessary to meet those requirements.
§ Mr. WigginAre those requirements as agreed by this country with NATO, or are they the more widely advertised requirements of being available for more than 30 days' all-out war?
§ Mr. WellbelovedThose requirements are the requirements called for by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe. The United Kingdom is meeting its obligations and will be able to continue to meet them.
§ Mr. ChurchillIs the hon. Gentleman aware that RAF Germany has a seriously inadequate number of air-to-air missiles? What proposals have the Government to remedy that?
§ Mr. WellbelovedWe are constantly reviewing the force level and the missile levels in RAF Germany. At present they meet the requirement. Since the change of Administration in 1974 there has been a significant increase in both the quality and quantity of our contribution to NATO by the RAF in Germany.