HC Deb 23 February 1982 vol 18 cc732-3
3. Mr. Hardy

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if the number of aircraft available for the defence of the United Kingdom is now markedly greater than it was three years ago.

Mr. Nott

Yes, Sir. The number of aircraft available for the defence of the United Kingdom is greater than in 1979, and the capability of those aircraft has been enhanced.

Mr. Hardy

Is that not a disreputable answer, which hides the fact that many of the aircraft are extremely old? Does not the right hon. Gentleman's answer entirely disregard the fact that for much of this Government's period of office the number of operational flying hours by pilots in the relevant squadrons has been greatly reduced? How does that equate with the view so frequently stated by Conservative Members before 1979?

Mr. Nott

The hon. Gentleman will appreciate that it takes a good number of years to improve any defence capability. He should be aware that since coming to office we have proceeded with the Nimrod early-warning programme, we have agreed to run on the two Phantom squadrons into the 1990's and we are bringing forward the Tornado air defence version, which will be only a few months behind schedule. The VCIO tanker force will greatly multiply our air defence capability. We have agreed to arm 72 of the Hawks. We are redeploying Bloodhound, we are putting Blindfire on Rapier and we are hardening aircraft shelters.

Mr. Beith

Did or did not the Secretary of State refer to a "window of vulnerability" opening in our air defences during the next five years? Is that not the price of the Trident programme?

Mr. Nott

I referred to a "window of vulnerability" in general terms and referred to NATO's total capability compared to that of the Warsaw Pact. The superiority of Warsaw Pact forces in all areas will continue to increase in the next five years compared with NATO's forces. That is the window of vulnerability.

Mr. Buck

In addition to the list that my right hon. Friend has given, will he confirm that the Government's action on pay and conditions has stopped the outflow of trained pilots who fly those aircraft?

Mr. Nott

When we came to power we were short of about 200 fighter pilots. We are still short of fighter pilots. It takes two and a half years to recruit and train a fighter pilot. Therefore, the changes that we have made to pay and conditions will take time to materialise into more trained fighter pilots.

Dr. McDonald

Will the right hon. Gentleman confirm the report in The Daily Telegraph of 28 January that our front line air defence system will be reduced by one-sixth by the end of the year? In the same interview as the right hon. Gentleman referred to the "window of vulnerability", did he not say that if there were an air attack on Britain we should immediately have to rely on American air defence forces, because we would lack our own? Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that the delays and cancellations in our air defence programme will lead to a major crisis by 1984–85, thus shunting the burden of conventional weapons on to the next Government?

Mr. Nott

I have just given some of the enhancements that we have made to our air defence in the past three years. When we last debated defence, the Labour Party proposed a reduction of £3.5 billion a year in defence expenditure. I now learn that the right hon. Member for Deptford (Mr. Silkin) will keep all five dockyards open. We must ask whether a Labour Government would have anything other than dockyards with which to defend the country.