HC Deb 17 December 1970 vol 808 cc410-1W
Mr. Wilkinson

asked the Minister of State for Defence what he estimates expenditure to be in the current financial year on the university air squadrons of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve; and what is their current establishment of both regular and volunteer reserve other ranks and officers.

Mr. Lambton

£1,350,000. The current regular establishment is 78 officers and 74 airmen. The establishment provides for a maximum of 689 pupils who may be regular officers serving as university cadets or Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve officers or airmen. There is no specific breakdown of the pupil establishment between these three categories.

Mr. Wilkinson

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he intends to make any change in the equipment, organisation or rôle of the air experience flights and university air squadrons of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lambton

All these matters are under study but 1 am not yet in a position to say what, if any, changes will be made.

Mr. Wilkinson

asked the Minister of State for Defence what he now estimates expenditure to be in the current financial year on the air experience flights of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve; and what is their current establishment of regular and volunteer reserve officers and other ranks.

Mr. Lambton

£390,000. The current establishment is 12 regular officers, and 200 officers of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch). No airmen are on the establishment.