§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of aircraft which are designed for use or have a capability for use in an air defence role currently in service with the Royal Air Force and in service on 1st March 1974; and what is the number of such aircraft currently ordered and the number ordered at the earlier date.
§ Mr. WellbelovedIt is not the practice to reveal details of numbers of aircraft in operational service. I have indicated—Official Report, 3rd April 1978, c. 39—that the RAF intends to procure 165 Tornado F2s, for air defence.
§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of aircraft in service with the Royal Air Force which are committed to NATO requirements.
§ Mr. WellbelovedAlmost all RAF combat and support aircraft, forming 50 operational squadrons, are assigned to NATO or available in support of NATO operations. It is not the practice to reveal details relating to the number of aircraft in squadrons.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now answer Questions relating to accident rates for aircraft.
§ Mr. WellbelovedI am not prepared to answer Questions about accident rates for individual military aircraft types. However, since taking office the Government have made a practice of publishing annually in reply to hon. Members' Questions a flying accident rate for each of the three Services, and since 1976 that for the RAF has been broken down between fixed and rotary wing aircraft. We also publish each year a list of accidents showing the aircraft type and the number of Service and civilian casualties. Information for last year was given on 17th January 1978—[Vol. 942, c.158]—2nd February 1978—[Vol. 943, c. 109–10]—and 26th June 1978—[Vol. 952, c. 43132.]
For this purpose an accident is defined as an occurrence where the aircraft is missing, damaged beyond repair, or is not repairable on base.