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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 0654.PDF
MARCH 12, 1936. FLIGHT. 285 THE AIR ESTIMATES Number of Squadrons at Home to be Trebled fry. 1.938 .' First-line Strength Approximately 1,750 Aircraft : £164,500 More for Civil Aviation GENERALLY speaking, the Air Estimates, 1936, which were issued last Friday,* come as something of an anti-climax after the White Paper on Defence. Summed up briefly, they call for an increase of 13 million sterling, in round figures, and a total personnel of 50,000. As in previous years, the Air Estimates are divided into eleven financial Votes and one (Vote A) setting out the numbers of personnel. The summarised figures are set out in the two tables published in the following pages, and, as usual, the Esti mates are accompanied by a Memorandum by the Secre tary of State for Air, Viscount Swinton. Extracts from the Memorandum follow. Financial Summary.—The gross total of Air Estimates for 1935, as originally presented, was £23,851,100, a figure which included pro vision for the first stage of the expansion scheme approved by Par liament in the summer of 1934. In May, 1935, however. His Majesty's Government found it necessary to announce a further programme of much more extensive scope, to be put in hand forth with and to be completed within two years. Immediate action was taken to implement this programme, and in July a Supple mentary grant of £5,335,000 was voted by Parliament to provide for the extra expenditure which it was then anticipated would mature for payment before March 31st, 1936. In the following table a comparative summary is given of the 1935 Estimates, thus revised, with those now presented for 1936. and the final estimate for that year by £12,488,500. The corres ponding increases in the net total, at £39,000,000, are £18,350,000 and £11,404,000 respectively. These increases are necessary to finance the further stages of the expansion scheme, which is due to be substantially completed by the end of the financial year 1936. The figures would have been larger but for a) the exercise of strict economy wherever efficiency will not be impaired; and (b) considerable allowances for the underspendings (particularly on works) which experience suggests are unavoidable with schemes of such magnitude. Provision has been made, under the appropriate votes, for ex penditure amounting to £550,000 in respect of special measures taken in connection with the Italo-Abyssinian dispute. This sum is mainly accounted for by liabilities carried over from 1935. General Policy.—These Estimates reflect throughout the satisfac tory progress which is being made, and continuance of which is anticipated in the coming year, in the execution of the expansion programme. Apart from an addition of 27 first-line aircraft to the Fleet Air Arm, the formation of new units in 1936 will be confined to increases in the Metropolitan strength of the Koyal Air Force. Gross Estimate Deduct Fleet Air Arm grant Deduct Other Appropriations-in-aid Net Estimate 1936 £ 43.490,600 3,066,000 1,424,600 39,000,000 1935 including Supplemen tary Estimate (H.C. 102 of 1934-5). £ 29,186,100 1,873,000 1,328,100 25,985,000 -f or- £ 4-14,304,500 4- 1,193,000 + 96,500 + 13,015,000 It has since, however, proved necessary to ask for a further Supplementary grant for 1935, primarily to meet the abnormal expenditure due to special measures taken in connection with the Italo-Abyssinian dispute, but also to provide for payments maturing as a result of the expansion scheme having made greater progress than it was safe to forecast in July. The gross total voted for 1935 has, therefore, risen from its original figure of £23,851,100 to a revised figure of £31,002,100. Thus the gross totai of the Estimates now presented for 1936 at £43,490,600 exceeds the original estimates for 1935 by £19,639,500 • H.M. Stationery Office, price 3s. 6d. net. THE RAF. EXPANSION Strength, Distribution and Organisation of the Royal Air Force.— The programme of expansion commenced last May envisaged the addition of 71 new squadrons to our Metropolitan air strength by March 31st, 1937, bringing the total strength of the Royal Air Force at home up to 123 squadrons. Formation of these squadrons, coupled with increases in the establishment of certain existing squadrons, was originally designed to produce a total first-line .strength at home of some 1,500 aircraft. The present Estimates provide for the substantial completion of this programme. These plans have, however, recently been recast as described in Cmd. 5107. The changes now contemplated in the composition of certain squad rons will provide a substantial accession of first-line strength, and will, in other directions, greatly enhance alike the defensive and offensive power of the Home Defence Force. In addition, four new auxiliary squadrons are to be formed and the five regular squad rons at present allotted for Army Co-operation are to be reorganised to provide seven squadrons. These changes and additions will, of course, entail the entering and training of additional personnel and the ordering of a further substantial number of aircraft, engines and their accessories. Action is already in train under all these heads, but execution of the revised programme, including provision of full war reserves, will extend into 1937 and 1938. The increased first-line establishment which will result from these measures will provide a total of 129 squadrons at home (of which 20 will be non-regular) with a strength in first-line aircraft of approximately 1,750. These figures, which are in all cases exclusive of the Fleet Air Arm, compare with 53 squadrons with 5S0 first-line aircraft on April 1st, 1935. The existing 25 squadrons overseas will be maintained during STATEMENT of AIR EXPENDITURE, 1928 to 1934 and of AIR ESTIMATES Financial Year. Vote A.—Numberi Vote 1.—Pay, etc, of the Royal Air Force „ 2.—Quartering, Stores (except Technical). Supplies and Transportation „ 3.—Technical and Warlike Stores (including Experimental and Research Services) ... „ 4.—Works, Buildings and Lands „ 5.—Medical Services » 6—Technical Training and Educational Services >• "'•—Auxiliary and Reserve Forces „ 8.—-Civil Aviation „ 0.—Meteorological and Miscellaneous Effective Services ,. 10.—Air Ministry ... „ U.—Half-Pay, Pensions and other N'on-Effective Services Balances Irrecoverable and Claims Abandoned NET CASH EXPENDITURE 1928. (a) 28.888 £ 3,530,219 1,651.116 6,402,616 1,756.00.') 292,060 505,789 533,863 358,764 219,494 650,738 194.506 i.7»:, 16,091,935 1929. (a) 29,240 £ 3,550,413 1,870.589 6.968.333 1,852,543 279,921 475,251 578,842 408,984 221,466 657,938 213.900 2,384 16,880,564 1930. (a) 29.988 £ 3,710,848 1,697,433 7.681.057 1,606.732 290,715 486,069 587,751 439,985 227,519 664,799 235,046 3.719 17,631,673 1931. (a) 30.263 £ 3,836,741 1,525.545 7,846,336 1.724.928 294,153 474,596 591,011 465.767 229,909 038,321 240.492 1.149 17,868,948 1932. (a) 29.520 £ 3,866.857 1,470.787 7.352,003 1,523.535 286,198 418,521 521,982 462,305 223,122 637,556 294,255 250 17,057,371 1933. (aL28,470 £ 4.020,086. 1.399,492 6,952,856 1,389.938 278,483 388,407 463.791 460,086 326,197 643,482 377.574 402 16,700,794 , 1935 and 1936. 1934. (a) 28,780 t 4,227,300 1,456,139 7,190,291 1,819,858 295,333 380,252 405.050 509,130 328.080 690,809 367.494 551 17,670,893 1935. (Estimate, including Supple mentary Estimate.) (b) 45.000 £ 5,002,000 2,044,000 11,152,000 4,092,500 316,000 488.000 527,000 595,500 546,000 832,000 390,000 — 25.985.000 1 (c) 1936. (Estimate.) (b) 50,000 £ 6,518,000 2,838.000 18,491,000 6,600.000 368,000 657.000 557.000 760,000 817.000 950,000 444,000 — 39,000.000 NOTE.—The figures for expenditure represent the net excess of estimated appropriations-in-aid. (a) Average number borne. (b) Maximum number expenditure after taking into account receipts noted in the Appropriation Account as receipts in to be bome. (c) Excludes further Supplementary Estimate for £1,611,000. (H.C. 41 of 1935 -StU
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