§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Minister of Technology how many major British projects there are experience of which will provide know-how for the Anglo-French variable geometry aircraft.
§ Mr. StonehouseThe British Aircraft Corporation, the United Kingdom airframe contractor for the A.F.V.G., has considerable experience of high performance combat aircraft development, of which the most important examples are the Lightning and TSR2. It has also experience of variable geometry
226Wrespectively, for the machine-tool industry for each of the quarters in 1966; what growth there has been over the last two years; and what is the forecast for the current year;
(4) what was the value of orders delivered to the home market and overseas, respectively, for the mechanical engineering industry for each of the quarters in 1966; what growth there has been over the last two years; and what is forecast for the current year.
§ Mr. BennThe following table gives the latest figures of home and export deliveries of motor vehicles, metalworking machine tools, other mechanical engineering and electrical engineering for the quarters of 1966 together with the percentage changes between the years 1964 and 1966. All figures are at current values. Forecasts of deliveries of these products for 1967 are not available.
techniques gained from research work carried out over a number of years.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Minister of Technology what estimate he has made of the number of months between the start of drawing board work on the Anglo-French variable geometry aircraft and the coming of the first Anglo-French variable geometry aircraft into Royal Air Force service.
§ Mr. StonehouseUntil we have completed the project definition study it is not possible to estimate precisely how long development will take. But the 227W present intention is that the aircraft should enter service with the R.A.F. in the mid-seventies.