§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to ensure that training backlogs owing to unavailability of aircraft are cleared. [69994]
§ Mr. IngramTraining priorities are matched to operational requirements. In the approach to, or during operations, aircrew training is refocused to reinforce critical skills. Subsequently, tactical air training reverts to normal patterns, and support to exercises resumes. Those Field Training Exercises cancelled as a result of non-availability of air transport will, in some cases, have been refocused and other means of meeting the training requirement explored. This being the case, there is no backlog as such.