§ Sir F. SYKESasked the Secretary of State for Air (1) if he will state, in respect of flying accidents during the past 12 months, the ages and dates of pilot qualification of pilots concerned; the duties on which they had been employed during the 12 months prior to the accidents; the flying hours carried out by them during that period as pilots of training machines and Service machines, respectively; the dates the aircraft involved in the accident were taken on charge of the Royal Air Force; and the dates these aircraft were designed;
(2) if he will state, in respect of regular officers who have qualified as pilots when over 30 years of age but under 35, when 35 years of age but under 40, and when 40 years of age and over respectively, the numbers who have so qualified in the past three years; the average hours flown per annum by officers in each of these groups after qualification as pilots; and the estimated annual cost of maintenance of these officers as qualified pilots;
(3) if he will state, of the regular establishment of the Royal Air Force of one air chief marshal, one air marshal, 11 air vice-marshals, 18 air commodores, 39 group captains, 126 wing commanders, and 283 squadron leaders respectively, the numbers in each rank qualified as pilots; the numbers in each rank so qualified who have performed no pilot duties during the past 12 months; and the numbers in each rank who have flown as pilots for less 284W than 12, less than 25, and less than 50 hours respectively in the past 12 months?
§ Sir S. HOARETo furnish my hon. and gallant Friend with the particulars desired would involve a great amount of detailed investigation, including the scrutiny of the personal record of several hundred officers and the subsequent sifting of their confidential reports. In view of the pressure of work on the staffs concerned, I do not think the results would be of sufficient value to justify this expenditure of time and labour.