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Aviation History
1924
1924 - 0152.PDF
E^ The non-effective services, Vote 11, are estimated to require £133,000, the subheads under which these expenses occur being :—Rewards to officers, warrant officers, non-commis sioned officers, and airmen ; half-pay of officers ; service and disability retired pay and gratuities of officers ; pensions and gratuities to wounded officers ; service and disability MARCH 13, 1924 pensions to warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and airmen; pensions, gratuities and allowances to widows; children, etc. ; civil non-effective payments, recurrent charges, gratuities and other non-recurrent charges ; injury grants ; commutation of retired pay, wounds pensions, etc. ; relief fund. MEMORANDUM BY SECRETARY OF STATE FOR AIR THE form of air estimates has been changed by the addition of two new votes (for medical and educational services) in accordance with a recommendation of the Public Accounts Committee. These two votes are numbered 5 and 6, and a consequent re-arrangement of other votes has taken place. For purposes of comparison between the years 1923-24 and 1924-25 the votes of the former year have been re-arranged in conformity with the new classification. The gross total of air estimates now presented is £19,392,000, and the net total is £14,511,000, an increase of £787,000 gross and £2,500,000 net over the corresponding totals for the ' current year. The provision for war liabilities is £185,000, as compared with £525,000 in the current year, a decrease of £340,000. The increase on other services is consequently £1,127,000 gross and £2,840,000 net. The difference between these two figures is mainly due to a decrease in the cost of the Air Force and ancillary services in Iraq and Palestine of over £1,300,000, which affects the gross but not the net figure of air votes. The effective increase of £2,840,000 on net air estimates is to be attributed to the progress of the approved expansion of the Air Force for home defence, to the increased requirements of Navy and Army co-operation, and to the replenishment of the stocks of technical equipment and other material which were originally a legacy of war production, and have hitherto sufficed for the requirements of the Air Force with comparatively little need for replacement. Eight new regular squadrons for home defence will be completely formed during 1924-25, which will bring the number allotted for that purpose to 18 by April, 1925 ; provision is also made in the estimates for the initial equip ment of six more squadrons, which under present arrangements will be formed in 1925-26. The air units working with the Navy will be increased by five flights, these additions being due partly to the increased number of aircraft carriers and partly to the provision of aircraft for embarkation in capital ships and cruisers. The strength of the air units working with the Army at home will be increased bv the equivalent of one squadron. Vote A (numbers) is increased by 2,000 to 35,000. The formation of new units is being accompanied by a close scrutiny of establishments, and every endeavour is being, and will be, made to employ the personnel in the most economical way. The increase on Vote 1 (pay) is small, but a con siderable increase of cost in later years will be unavoidable as the programme develops. The approximate total numbers involved in completing the approved scheme of expansion for home defence will be 40,000, but this figure will not be reached for some years. Provision is being made under Vote 7 for the inauguration of the Auxiliary Air Force and the Special Reserve. As already announced, legislation is being introduced to enable these forces to be set up, and when it is passed it is intended to proceed with the formation of squadrons additional to the 18 regular squadrons for home defence, which, as stated above, are to be ready by April, 1925. An extensive scheme of land purchase and building is an unavoidable concomitant of the expansion of the Air Force. The increased provision in Vote 4 for this purpose is con siderable, but the greater part of the charge for the enlarged programme of works will fall on subsequent years. In order to provide for the increase of skilled mechanics which will be necessary, an additional wing of the Aircraft Apprentices' <$> <S> Aviation in the Army Estimates IN his memorandum to the Army estimates the Secretary of State for War makes the following reference to air defence troops :— " The peace establishment of the Territorial Army (exclusive of Permanent Staff), which in 1923-24 stood at 180,213 (7,956 officers and 172,257 men), is raised for 1924-25 to 185,554 (7,955 officers and 177,599 men), practically the whole increase being due to the growth of air defence troops. During 1924-25 it is intended to raise additional units of such troops, to an establishment of 126 officers and 2,729 other ranks, as the first instalment of an increase rendered necessary by the expansion of the Royal Air Force which has already been decided on. These troops Training Establishment at Halton is being erected, which will provide for another thousand- under training in addition to the two thousand for whom accommodation already exists. The largest individual increase is on Vote 3 (technical equipment and research). The reconditioning of existing machines and engines is being continued, so far as it is judged to be both economical and compatible with efficiency ; but it is proposed to equip.new squadrons (including the additiona I units for co-operation with the Navy) with new-type machines. In this connection it is of the utmost importance that there should be no relaxation of activity in experiment and research, and increased provision has been made for this purpose. I am hopeful that the utility of this work will be further increased by the decision, announced by my predecessor, to separate the supervision of the more purely scientiic research from that of technical development. Provision is made under Vote 8 for continuing the assistance hitherto granted towards the maintenance of air transport services, but the sum required shows a considerable diminu tion owing to the projected absorption of the four existing companies into a new Imperial Air Transport Company, which is on the point of formation. The terms of the agree ment with this company have already been published in a White Paper. Notwithstanding this decrease, the civil aviation vote as a whole shows an increase of £68,000, due to the contemplated extension of Croydon Aerodrome and the establishment there of an up-to-date air port, in accordance with the recommenda tions of the Civil Aviation Advisory Board. No provision is made in these estimates for the development of airships. The matter is under active consideration by the Government, and their decision will be communicated to Parliament in due course. Any necessary provision of funds will be made by means of a supplementary estimate. Vote 10 (Air Ministry) shows an increase of £62,000, which is due mainly to additional staff being required in the Works Department in connection with the land and building pro gramme of the home defence scheme ; additions to the staff of the Personnel and Organisation branches have also been found necessary for the working out and administration of that scheme. It may be remarked that several of the addi tional appointments thus created have been filled by Army officers whose services have been obtained by the co-operation of the War Office. A considerable reduction of the strength of the Air and other F"orces in the Middle East has been made during the current financial year, and, as already mentioned, further decreases are in contemplation* The result will be to reduce from £5,040,800 to £3,708,850 the contribution to be made by the Colonial Office from the Middle East vote to air votes. in respect of the cost of the Air Force and ancillary services. Of this contribution £3,091,850 will be in respect of Iraq and £617,000 in respect of Palestine and Transjordania. A warning should be given that as the Air Force expands in accordance with the approved programme, and as war stocks of equipment become obsolete, the total of air estimates must be expected to rise for some years. I may, however, point out that during the period of expansion the annual estimates will bear the capital cost involved in the provision of land and buildings and the first equipment of the new squadrons, and that therefore (unless further expansion is imposed on us) part of the increase will not be recurrent. (The Air Estimates can be obtained from H.M. Stationer - Office (3s.), as can also the Memorandum,Cmd. 2070 (2d.).— ED.) <$> <$> are complementary to the air units, and are essential to the full development of their powers of defence. " Owing to the fact that air defence troops must be prepared to offer effective resistance to attack immediately on the beginning of hostilities, it is necessary that their peace establishments shall be regulated by the demand which would then be made on them. The establishments of the two existing air defence brigades will therefore be raised from the general peace proportions of about 80 per cent, of the officers and 60 per cent, of the men on the war estab lishment, to the full war establishment. The increase under this head amounts to 20 officers and 2,490 other ranks, and endeavours will be made to recruit up to the full establishment during the year." 152
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