§ Mr. Mark RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure that Britain's need for support helicopters will meet requirements for the year 2000 and beyond.
§ Mr. FreemanWe plan to procure additional medium support helicopters to enhance significantly the RAF's current fleet. As stated in this year's statement on the Defence Estimates, only the Chinook and the Utility EH101 are capable of meeting our particular requirements. We are currently assessing price and performance data received for these helicopters.