§ Mr. Gorstasked the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Arab nationals are at present in the United Kingdom training as pilots on British helicopters; how much aviation fuel is consumed each month in the course of this training; whether any special arrangements are being made by the pilots' country of origin to supplement British oil supplies for this purpose; if consideration is being given to discontinuing the training programme until such time as adequate oil supplies are available for domestic purposes; and who bears the extra cost when the price of aviation fuel is increased.
§ Lord BalnielIt is not our normal practice to disclose details of individual contracts but I can say that 12 Egyptian helicopter pilots are undergoing a conversion course in this country. The arrangements for the fulfilment of training programmes are a matter for the firms concerned who are subject to the present restrictions on fuel supplies. I do not think that the scale of the training in question warrants any special measures as regards fuel supplies or the suspension of courses.