Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when he expects agreement on the air staff requirement for the Nimrod MR2 replacement;
(2) if he will make a statement on the effects of corrosion on the fatigue lives of the RAF Nimrod maritime reconnaissance fleet.
§ Mr. SainsburyThe fatigue life of an airframe is affected by a number of factors, of which corrosion is only one. In the case of the Nimrod MR2, it is too early to assess the effect of corrosion on the aircraft's fatigue life, but we expect the Nimrod to give many more years of useful service. It will be some time before a staff requirement for a replacement aircraft needs to be agreed.