§ Mr. KnowlesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether, pursuant to his statement on 10 December 1991,Official Report, column 733, he will set out the future numbers and roles of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force personnel to be employed (a) in the Rapier anti-aircraft missile force, (b) as support for mobile air defence radar convoys in the new United Kingdom air defence system and (c) in mission planning for Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe feasibility of employing Royal Auxiliary Air Force personnel in the Rapier force and as support for mobile air defence radar convoys is still under consideration. Personnel of No. 3 maritime headquarters unit are providing mission support facilities for the Nimrod forward operating base at RAF St. Mawgan. It is not our practice to give precise numbers of personnel, regular or reserve, engaged on specific tasks.
§ Mr. KnowlesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the wartime role, establishment and strength of each branch(a) the Royal Auxiliary Air Force and (b) the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe wartime roles of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force are maritime headquarters support, ground defence, short-range air defence, air movements and aeromedical evacuation.
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve provides specialist personnel in the fields of intelligence, photo interpretation and public relations. It is not the practice to give detailed figures of the establishment and strength of individual branches of the volunteer reserve forces. Total strengths are, however, given in table 4.6 of volume 2 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1991" (Cm. 1559-II).