§ Sir Timothy Kitsonasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether, in view of the fact that yet another Jet Provost accident has occurred in North Yorkshire, and in view of the number of accidents over the last months, he will urgently set up a committee of inquiry and on this occasion publish its report in order to allay the fears of those who are becoming concerned by the number of accidents that have taken place; if he will give an assurance that the Jet Provost is not nearing the end of its useful life; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WellbelovedThe circumstances of the accident to a Jet Provost on 28 March, as with all accidents involving RAF aircraft, will be the subject of an RAF board of inquiry. As I told the House on 25 July 1978 in answer to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Peckham (Mr. Lamborn), I have put in hand a study to examine what can be done to release more information about the findings of boards of inquiry.—[Vol. 954, c. 617.]
As to the safety of this type of aircraft in general, no evidence has come to light as a result of investigations of earlier accidents to suggest that there is any common factor. It is planned that the Jet Provost will remain in service for many years yet.