§ Mr. WigginTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the total operating costs of the RAF's Chinook helicopter fleet during the past 10 years; how many aircraft have been in service on average at any one time out of the total available; and how many hours of operational flying have been achieved in the same period.
§ Mr. Hanley[holding answer 26 January 1994]: The total number of hours flown during the past 10 years is 99,528. Records of operating costs are not available prior 70W to 1989–90, since when costs have been approximately £232,000,000 and during which time some 44,200 hours have been flown. Operating costs include personnel costs and fuel and maintenance but exclude depreciation, interest on capital and station and administration costs.
On average, 18 of of 32 aircraft have been available for front-line service at any one time. These figures reflect the need for planned maintenance and servicing.