§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the economies that have been achieved in Royal Air Force maintenance and support.
§ Mr. LeeA wide range of measures are being taken to effect economies in RAF maintenance and support. The level of contracts opened to competition has increased significantly and engineering practices, provisioning procedures and parameter values, manpower employment and the use of transport resources, land and other facilities continue to be the subject of criticial review. Specific measures have included the commercial management of the physical aspects of the defence accommodation stores depot task at RAF Quedgeley and of the air forms and publication warehousing at Woolwich, and of engineering and supply support for basic flying training and communications aircraft at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Shawbury and Northolt and for all university air squadrons and air experience flights; increased industrial support for the major servicing of several aircraft types and a reduction in the capacity of major repair units, including lower civilian manpower balanced by enhanced productivity; the use of civilian driving schools for the training of tradesmen drivers and most accommodation cleaning conducted under contract; together with the introduction and expansion of computer support in all areas, including air passage reservations.