BRITISH AIR ARM

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22004, 30 January 1937, Page 14

BRITISH AIR ARM

MINISTER ON PROGRAMME

LONDON, January 28. In the House of Commons debate on air defence the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence (Sir Thomas Inskip) recalled that in the years 1930 to 1934 the average number of aeroplane frames and engines was round about 700 or 750 for a whole year for the Royal Air Force. These numbers were only a fraction of what was required in the annual report under the present programme.

The present position was that 87 squadrons had now been formed, 13 of which were still on a one-flight basis. Others of the squadrons were above strength in personnel, with a sufficient number of aircraft 'for training purposes. It was anticipated that 100 squadrons would be formed by the end of March, of which 22 would be on a one-flight basis.

If expectations were fulfilled, a further 24 squadrons would be completed by July. He estimated that there had been a lag of three or four months on the original schedule, but the line of production was on a slowly rising scale, and it would become steeper as the months went by-

The Minister explained the technical. difficulties of getting such a large programme under production, but he expressed the view that as these problems were solved the programme would be fully attained and maintained. Rearmament was not the Government’s objective. Political appeasement and economic co-operation alone could bring lasting peace.