HC Deb 24 January 1978 vol 942 cc586-8W
Sir J. Langford-Holt

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many RAF aircraft on an average land at Bahrain each month;

(2) how many RAF personnel are kept at Bahrain to service aircraft;

(3) what is the average number of hours worked per week by RAF personnel at Bahrain;

(4) whether RAF personnel at Bahrain perform the duties of aircraft inspections, engine changes, catering, refuelling and passenger handling, respectively.

Mr. Wellbeloved

On average 23 Royal Air Force aircraft a month pass through Bahrain. Two RAF personnel are based there. One acts as a liaison officer between the RAF and the airport civilian agencies, and he is concerned with supervision of the handling of RAF aircraft. The other supervises the servicing and technical handling of the RAF aircraft. Both work on average 55 hours a week. The servicing itself is carried out under contract by civilian agents who perform the duties listed by the hon. Member, except in the case of a major rectification such as an engine change, when a specialist engineering team would be despatched from the United Kingdom. The servicing of RAF aircraft at Bahrain is of a high standard and the handling arrangements are adequate.