COMMONS DEBATE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23037, 14 May 1938, Page 15

COMMONS DEBATE

MINISTER ASSAILED PACE OF MANUFACTURE MUCH DELAY ALLEGED NO PARITY WITH GERMANY By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON, May 12 In giving details of the Air Force expansion programme in the House of Commons, Earl Winterton said the first-line strength of home squadrons would reach 2370 machines by March, 1940, overseas squadrons 490 and the fleet air arm 500. The aggregate of first-line machines would approach 3500. The number of officers and men of the Air Force before the expansion was 50,000, and at present 70,000. He denied that the Royal Air Force machines were inferior to those of other countries. Firms were being given orders enabling them to plan ahead and over 30 additional aerodromes were required. When Lord "Winterton said the Royal Air Force machines would compare more than favourably with those of other countries, Mr. Winston Churchill interrupted, saying, "Absolutely untrue." Liberal Member's Criticism Sir Hugh Seely (Liberal —Northumberland) in moving a reduction in the salary of the Air Minister by £IOO, as a protest, said that Germany at present had 8000 aeroplanes of which 3500 were front-line, and would within a year have 6000 first-line machines, whereas Britain two years hence would have only 2700. Germany was making between 500 and 600 aeroplanes a month. Britain at the end of the war in 1918 was capahle of turning out 30,000 aeroplanes a year. Such an output was impossible to-day without a Minister of Supplies. Apart from aeroplanes every Air Force station was demanding four times the available supply of guns. "The system under which we are working is a complete failure," said Sir Hugh. Conferences and committees sitting at the Air Ministry were unwieldy. No one appeared to be able to make decisions.

One firm was obliged to borrow £1,000,000 from a bank owing to delays in getting money from the Air Ministry while smaller firms were more greatly hampered for the same reason. Manufacturers had been threatened under the Official Secrets and even with the loss of contracts if they disclosed the state of affairs. Adverse Motion Defeated

The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. C. R. Attlee, said: "We have not only not got parity with Germany, but are getting further from parity every week. Lord Winterton's proposals will not bring us, even in 1940, to the position that Germany is in to-day.

"The Royal Air Force is largely equipped with obsolete and obsolescent machines." Lieutenant-Colonel J. T. MooreBrabazon (Conservative —Wallasey) and Mr. W. R. Perkins (Conservative —Stroud) stressed the advantage of manufacturing aircraft in the Domin ions, where the works would be safe, whereas works in England could be destroyed by the enemy. Lord Winterton, replying, said he was impressed by the volume ol opinion in favour of manufacture in the Dominions and would fully investigate the possibilities. Sir Hugh Seely's motion was defeated by 229 votes to 131.