§ Sir F. SYKESasked the Secretary of State for Air the cost over a recent period of 12 months of material expended in the maintenance of motor transport vehicles; the cost of motor transport fuel expended; the aggregate motor transport mileage; and that of motor cycles, light motor vehicles, and heavy motor vehicles, respectively?
§ Sir S. HOAREI regret that it is not possible without a great deal of labour to give the information required for motor transport separately from that for technical vehicles such as workshop lorries, mechanical starters, fire tenders, etc., which consume considerable quantities of petrol for purposes other than propulsion, and consequently vitiate the mileage figures given below. The following combined figures relate to the period of 12 months preceding the 30th September, 1925:
Net issues for the maintenance of technical and non-technical motor vehicles (excluding armoured cars): At home: £ Units … … 27,400 Repair Depot … … 19,100 Overseas … … 38,500 Petrol: At home … … 17,132 Overseas … … 24,786 It must be borne in mind that the greater part of the motor transport in use by the Royal Air Force has been in use continuously during and since the War, and that the cost of maintenance is therefore considerably higher than would be the case with newer vehicles.
The aggregate mileage run in the same period is as follows: — At Home. Overseas. Total. Motor Cycles 260,951 500,290 761,241 Light Vehicles 1,291,171 1,919,934 3,211,105 Heavy Vehicles 789,084 500,854 1,289,938 Total 2,341,206 2,921,078 5,262,284