Mr William Taylor: The hon. Gentleman should not move too fast. He arid others have been here long enough not to anticipate. I want to start this speech, therefore, by replying to the question which the hon. Lady put to me. She asked whether the Air Estimates included any sum for research into means of avoiding some accidental nuclear disaster. The answer is that research expenditure is borne not by the Air...
Mr William Taylor: That is another question, and I do not propose to reply to it. Like all charming ladies, the hon. Lady is never satisfied. I have given her an answer. The hon. Member for Sheffield, Park raised the subject of technicians in the Service. I have already said that I propose to go through the manpower part of my remarks into the more serious—if I may so put it—questions of equipment and so...
Mr William Taylor: I am glad that I have the hon. Gentleman's attention. He has often said that to me. He complained that we were taking too many technicians from the civil field into the Royal Air Force—technicians with scarce skills which could be applied to civil production. It is impossible to run a modern air service, whether it be military or civil, without having a large number of these skilled people...
Mr William Taylor: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that point. I have not the numbers by me now, but, of course, there is the famous technical college at Henlow. Hon. Members who have seen this college will agree with me that it compares favourably with any similar institution in this or any other country. It has turned out good men not only for the R.A.F. but others who have done their tours of...
Mr William Taylor: I take exception to that last remark. This is only a question of a rise in pay to an already well paid service—and the R.A.F. is a well-paid service; indeed, it is a career. I do not believe for one moment—there is no evidence of it—that recruiting figures will decline for any reason such as the hon. Gentleman has advanced. Before I leave the question of manning, which is one of my...
Mr William Taylor: If the hon. Member will exercise his usual patience, I shall try to get round to that. If I do not get round to it, I shall write to him. The question of married quarters has been raised by both hon. Members speaking from the Opposition Front Bench. A great effort has been and is being made to provide more married quarters at home and abroad. At home in the next financial year, 1962–63, we...
Mr William Taylor: I will deal with that now. The hon. Member accused the Air Ministry of aiming at a lower manpower target for the Royal Air Force than the 135,000 target for adult males which has been mentioned on other occasions.
Mr William Taylor: Yes. I must say two things about this. First, as the Minister of Defence said in the defence debate, While the new strategy is given further detailed study, I do not propose to lay down precise manpower ceilings for each Service."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 5th March, 1962; Vol. 655, c. 43.] Secondly, the figure of 132,600 is the realistic estimate of the numbers we expect to achieve by the date in...
Mr William Taylor: I accept those con gratulations with great pleasure, and I will convey them to all my hon. and right hon. Friends—
Mr William Taylor: In considering this decision we should have regard to the main operational task, which is to give close support to the Army in the field. The aircraft will also, in time of peace, serve as the work horse of the R.A.F., carrying supplies to outlying garrisons within the main commands. The decision to order the Avro 748 rather than the Herald was a very close thing on technical grounds. Both...
Mr William Taylor: I do not accept that view for a moment; they are both excellent aircraft. The hon. Member for Sheffield, Park referred to the Estimates' Committee's Report on Trooping and asked why
Mr William Taylor: What rôle does the hon. Gentleman think the Hunter plays in all this?
Mr William Taylor: Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the Hunter is an interdicter aircraft?
Mr William Taylor: Is the hon. Gentleman saying that the latest fighter of the British Air Force, the P1 Lightning, is incapable of fulfilling its rôle effectively?
Mr William Taylor: Is the hon. Gentleman saying that?
Mr William Taylor: The hon. Gentleman has the advantage in a debate such as this. He does not expect me to discuss speeds on this occasion, and I certainly have no intention of doing so.
Mr William Taylor: I am glad to hear that the hon. Member for Loughborough (Mr. Cronin) takes such a long-term view of the life of the Government I can assure him that we shall be here to torment him for a good many years to come, but in the meantime I will try to answer some of the points which he raised. The hon. Gentleman went into a great deal of detail about the ranges and payloads of various types of...
Mr William Taylor: I think that eleven Members, including three from another place, are to make the trip, but there will be others in the aircraft.
Mr William Taylor: We have twenty-three Britannias in service at present, and this aircraft is capable of doing a very useful job in the Royal Air Force. The hon. Gentleman will have an opportunity of examining it and forming a view from a practical standpoint when he goes. I shall not go into great detail in this debate. It would take too long. I should have to go into about twenty different types of aircraft...
Mr William Taylor: I shall have something more to say in a few minutes about long-distance freighters. The hon. Member for Dudley said that we had not in the Royal Air Force an aircraft capable of carrying a heavy tank. That is quite true, but I know of no aircraft in the world today which will carry a heavy tank. It is unrealistic to put a point like that. The hon Member for Loughborough spoke about...
