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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 1298.PDF
DECEMBER 23, 1920 AVIATION IN PARLIAMENT The Supplementary Estimate ON December 14, on a supplementary estimate of £i,935>oo0X'0r 'keAir Service, Mr. Churchill said the supplementary estimate would not have been requiredbut for the fact that the Ministry of Munitions had a claim against the Air Ministry on account of their under-estimate of the cost of winding up thewar contracts last year. The vote involved no new charge to the State. It was entirely a book-keeping transaction between departments. But forthis the Air Ministry would have shown a substantial surplus, partly due to underspending and partly due to savings, the result of long and laboriousadministration ; and they would have»been in a position of handing back about £1,500,000 to the Exchequer. The financial record of the Air Ministry during the year would bear thestrictest scrutiny. In July it was decided to add five new squadrons to the strength of the' R.A.F. These five squadrons were considered necessarybecause of the state of affairs in the Middle East, and because of the need of having a reserve which could be sent to any threatened quarter. But becauseadditional overhead charges were not required those five squadrons cost only • five-eighths of what other squadrons of the Air Force cost. Another item of increase had been the additional expense incurred throughthe conditions in Mesopotamia, Constantinople, and Ireland. In Mesopotamia they had bad for many months conditions of actual war, and the number 01air squadrons had to be doubled. In Constantinople they had to supply the Air Force which was necessary to assist the troops not only of our owncountry, but of other countries, in holding that city pending the general settlement by the Supreme Council of the League of Nations. In Irelandthey bad also been put to additional expense, although not to any great extent. Other increases which had taken place were automatic owing to therise in wages and the cost of materials. All those increases have been more than set off by decreases. There weredeliberate economies and underspending. Throughout the year the need for the utmost frugality had been borne in mind. Personnel had been allowedso sparingly to the squadrons as to give rise to serious doubts as to whether efficiency and safety had not been imperilled. The training of the Air ForceReserve had been postponed, and acquirements in material cut down to a minimum. A considerable building programme had been planned in orderto house the foice, but that had been enormously reduced, because it was found that by a certain amount of reconditioning a good many years1 work•could be got out of many of the temporary buildings they had on their hands. They had also stopped with great regret all the long-distance experimentalflights. Not only had the R.A.F. discharged all its functions out of the ordinaryvotes of the year, but it was preparing to hand over to the Treasury a sum of approximately £1,500,000 out of the money taken at the beginning of theyear. Everything had been scrapped, skimmed, strained, winnowed in the interests of reducing to the least possible dimensions the charge upon thetaxpayer, and it was rather hard upon officials who had been labouring in that way and expecting to be complimented upon their performance to findall the fruits of their labour swamped by an enormous deadweight charge outstanding from the past over which they had no control. The only reasonwhy they came before Parliament was to ask for a further sum to wind up contracts by the Ministry of Munitions in order that tT>e money might behanded back at the end of the year as part of the surplus of that department- When the war came to an end the outstanding contracts of the Ministryof Munitions for air production amounted to £162,000,000. As the result of a careful survey they escaped from £77,000,000 worth of contracts, andthey settled for £85,000,000 worth. That settlement partly took the form of compensation to people whose contracts were cancelled and partly theform of taking delivery of certain of the best class of engines to the value of £23,000,000. The estimate which the Ministry of Munitions gave for windingup this business after April 1, 1919, was £17,150,000 last year and £3,250,000 this year. The Air Ministry took those figures in their estimates, but theMinistry of Munitions now notified them that the charge for last year should have been £20,500,000, and for this year £3,500,000. It would thus be seenthat the Air Ministry had to provide £3,250,000 more to defray the liquidation of war contracts. Sir D. Maclean said the main point which seemed the to him to come out ofestimates was as to the additional five squadrons. He understood that the need for these was the necessities of the campaign in Mesopotamia, withoperations in Constantinople, and the additional requirements in Ireland. In so far as the economies which Mr. Churchill had indicated had been effectedhe congratulated the officials concerned. He recognised that some real saving had been effected. Lieut.-Col. J. Ward asked whether it was true that many large buildingson Salisbury Plain connected with the Air Force were to be scrapped while plans had been drawn up for extensive alterations and additional buildingsat the Andover Aerodrome, which was on private property. Lieut.-Com. Kenworthy asked whether any steps were being taken to forma territorial reserve for the Air Force. Mr. Churchill: I am taking a little money for it in the estimates of nextyear. Lieut.-Com. Kenworthy asked whether real steps were, being taken to formsomething analogous to the Royal Naval Reserve among the commercial flying pilots. -He' also asked what was being done to strengthen the airdefences of Singapore. He also asked for information as to the actual system of liaison between the staffs of the Admiralty and the Air Ministry.With regard to the two magnificent ex-German airships, " L 71 " and " L 64," that had been handed over to us. he wished to know whether these airshipswere being used and whether there was any plan for offering them to any commercial airship company. Was any such company in this countryprepared to take them over ? - . Mr. Churchill: I wish there were. Lieut.-Com. Kenworthy went on to suggest that a subsidy should beoffered for the running of the Zeppelins. He concluded by asking whether any progress was being made with helicoptere experiments.Mr. Billing said when the war ended there was material available for the formation of a great aerial reserve, and a wonderful personnel of pilotsThe Irish mails could be carried today more cheaply by air than the cost of the subsidy paid for mail boats. There was uo reason why the Air Ministryshould not have sold machines to some of the officers instead of selling material of about £50,000,000 to a number of City financiers for £600,000. Andthe Government having sold machines for £20 or £30 went and bought others from manufacturers at a cost of £4,000 or £5,000. The administration of theair service for the past year had not been good. There were aerodromes scattered all over the country that looked like lost cities, and yet the Ministrywent and started new schools. Priceless German aeroplanes were being destroyed which could be brought to this country and disposed of. Mr. Churchill, replying, said that Mr. Billing had reproached him for havingtoo much fish to fry. His trouble was not that he had too much fish, but too little batter to fry it in. When he had supplied the minimum plantfor the schools and the minimum number of squadrons needed in the various theatres he was down to the last penny he was in a position to ask Parliamentto give. Next year he hoped to be able to reserve some money to encourage civil aviation, which was so essential to the future of the air service. The gravity of the need was borne in upon him by the news of the recent disaster. Many of those who had been engaged flying had retired elsewhere under conditions which were very disappointing, but he was confident that in the end aviation would realise "all the hopes of its most enthusiastic supporters. Mr. Billing moved that the vote be reduced by £100, but this was negatived and the vote was agreed to. Aero Engines for the R.A.F.MR. RAPER, in the House of Commons on December 14, asked the Secretary of State for Air how many new aero engines of each different type have beendestroyed since the Armistice, and at what prices the same have been and are being offered for sale ? Mr. Churchill : The answer to the first part of the question is, that no newBritish or Allied machines have been intentionally destroyed under orders from the Air Ministry. The second part of the question does not, thereforearise. Mr. Raper : Does the right hon. gentleman's reply refer to all aero enginesafter the removal of their component parts ? Mr. Billing : On what information does he base that calculation ? Is henot aware that hundreds of new machines have been taken out of the various aerodromes, the engines removed, and the machines burned since the Armis-tice ? Will the right hon. gentleman take steps to obtain more accurate information ? Mr. Churchill : I have every reason to believe that my answer referring toengines is correct. I am informed that no new British or Allied engines have been destroyed under the orders of the Air Ministry. It is quite true that anumber of aeroplanes accumulated during the latter part of the War have been reduced to their component parts, and I expect that we should have been.very much complained of if great expense had been incurred on a large staff" in keeping these machines in order. Mr. Billing : Is the right hon. gentleman aware that the Government haveonly recently accepted the delivery of machines identical to those which have been destroyed ? Mr. Churchill: Yes. That is all part of the general settlement of contractsarrived at when the War came to a close. A settlement had to be made at that time, including the dispersal of those artificially brought into the aero-plane industry. Mr. Billing : Are we to understand that the Government policy is to acceptdelivery of materials and then burn them in order to keep men employed ? Mr. Churchill : That would be about as extravagant a policy as the ingenuityof any hon. member could suggest. Mr. Raper ; Does the right hon. gentleman refer to engines or the auxiliaryparts of engines ? Mr. Churchill: As far as I know that is so, but if my hon. friend has some-thing in his mind which is not covered by my original answer and he will let me know what it is I will enquire. Aero Engines Delivered Since Armistice MR. RAPER asked the Secretary of State for Air how manyaero engines ofeach different type the Government have taken delivery of since the Armistice and what prices have been paid for the same ? Mr. Churchill : A large number of aero engines were, of course, on order atthe date of the Armistice. It was necessary to take delivery of 14,800 of these as the contracts could not be broken. These engines were of 28 differenttypes, and varied greatly in price. My hon. friend will find that I shall refer to the finance of this matter when dealing with the Supplementary Air Estmatethis afternoon. Aircraft CarriersMR. BRIANT, on December 15, asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the number of aircraft carriers in full commisson ; in commission in reserve ;the number paid off; the number scrapped since the Armistice ; and the number building ? Sir J. Craig : The numbers of aircraft carriers in full commission, in com-mission in reserve, and paid off are shown on pages 701 to 714 of the Navy List. The number scrapped since the Armistice, i.e., sold for breaking-uppurposes or otherwise, is 4. The number in course of completion is 2. R.A.F. UniformsMR. HOHLER on December 16, asked the Secretary of State for War with how many different uniforms has an officer who joined the Royal NavalAir Service and was transferred to the Royal Air Force been obliged to provide himself up to the present time ; and what has been the approximate cost ofsuch uniforms ? Mr. Churchill: An officer who joined the Royal Naval Air Service and whowas subsequently transferred to the Royal Air Force has had to provide himself with the following uniforms :—•Royal Naval Air service uniform, '^ - Royal Air Force service dress, _*" ' '""_.-•" . ."...--• Royal Air Force mess dress. The cost of the Royal Naval Air Service uniform was, approximately, £20The Royal Air Force service dress and mess dress cost, approximately, ^£25 and £23, respectively. The Royal Air Force service dress was changed fromkhaki to light blue, and from light blue to a darker blue, but officers were not bound to purchase any uniform of the new colour until their existing uniformrequired renewal. Mr. Hohler asked the Secretary of State for War whether officers of thi AirForce have recently been compelled to buy mess dress ; whether the cost of it is approximately £23, without distinction ; and whether any allowance has beenmade to officers up to the rank of flight-commander in respect of this expense ? Mr. Churchill: Officers granted permanent Royal Air Force commissions,those granted short service commissios and officers promoted from the ranks who are retained in the Royal Air Force for a definite period have been in-structed to provide themselves with mess dress. The approximate cost is £23. The answer to the third part of the question is in the negative. Ex-R.A.F. Men Killed in IrelandMR. PENNFATHER asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland how many of the police murdered or wounded by the rebels in Ireland were ex-Service men andthe regiments to which they belonged ? Sir H. Greenwood in his reply stated that in the total of 45 killed were sevenformerly belonging to the R.A.F. R.A.F. Uniform Allowance MR. HOHLER, on December 17, asked the Secretary of State for Air whetherofficers in the Army have recently been allowed £150 uniform or kit allowance less any amount received on joining ; whether the same, or any amounthas been, or will be, allowed to "all officers of the Air Force ; and if not, the reason ? Mr. Churchill: As regards Army officers, an allowance of £150 will be madesubject to certain conditions-to officers joining the Household troops. For officers joining other regiments in which full dress is not worn, the rate will06 £5°. subject to conditions about to be announced. The question of an allowance for uniform in the case of officers of the Royal Air Force is underconsideration, and it is hoped that an announcement on the subjett will shortly be made. I3OO
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