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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 0518.PDF
342 FLIGHT, 16 March T950 DEFENCE, 1950 More Money to be made Available for Research and for the R.A.F. THE new Minister of Defence, Mr. Shinwell, presentedto Parliament on Monday, March 6th, the DefenceEstimates for the three Services. They were simul- taneously published in a White Paper, Statement on De- fence, 1950 (H.M. Stationery Office, price 4d). In the introduction it is stated that " until world peace can be assured by an effective system of collective security under the United Nations, it is the policy of His Majesty's Government to seek security through the development of collective self-defence . . . Defence policy is based on the assumption that we should not stand alone in resisting aggression. Co-operation and consultation with other mem- bers of the Commonwealth have always been the core of our defence policy • . . but now, in addition, specific en- gagements have been made with other peaGe-loving nations in the Brussels and North Atlantic Treaties." It is pointed out that the defence responsibilities of the United Kingdom Government are not limited to those assumed under the Brussels and North Atlantic Treaties. Although the numerical strength of "the Forces "can be reduced," total expenditure for the next financial year will be /780 million.^ The main change in the use of resources is that money will be spent on equipment and research rather than on manpower. It is now planned to reduce the uniformed strength (of the three Services) to 718,800 by April 1st, 1950, and to 682, too by April 1st, 1951—more than 100,000 below the strength a year ago. On the other hand, nearly £35 million more will be spent on equipment and research than in 1949-50. Reference is made to the help given by a comprehensive inter-Service review of the future development of the Forces put in hand just over a year ago. "This review," says the Statement, "made it clear that there were no grounds for any substantial change iu the relative roles of the thice Services or for any drastic curtailment of the strength of any one of them." It is now believed in some quarters that this is no more than an interim finding and that there will be continuous change almost from month to month. The allocation of the net defence budget for 1950-51 with comparative figures for I94y-5o, is as follows:— AdmiraltyWar Office Air MinistryMinistry of Supply Ministry of Defence On the subject of the Air Force the following broad state- ments are made;— "The plan for doubling the jet-lighter strength of Fighter Command will be completed and the power of Bomber Com- mand will be increased by forming squadrons of B-29 aircraft as a result of American aid. Other Commands, except Trans- port, will remain broadly at their present strength. With t\v. gradual build-up of Bomber Command there will be a reduction in the air transport force at home but we shall retain enough transport aircraft to meet essential needs and to enable us 1<> make an important contribution to another airlift operation should that become necessary. "The number of men (202,400) in. the Air Force on April 1st, 1950, will be about 10,000 below the planned figure, but little further change during the year is contemplated." In fact, a small increase, probably amounting to 3,000, is expected in the Air F'orce during 1950-51, but it seems that in the Air Force, as in the Army, there will be a heavy wastage arising from the termination of current engagements, particu- larly short-service and bounty engagements. Recruitment figures for 1948 and 1949 were:— 1948 Normal Regular Engagements .. 9.900 Bounty Engagements 5,700 Total 13,600 While the Navy iigures are satisfactory, those for the Army and Air Force are considerably short of requirements. Because the full list of problems that the Services would like solved " would require a far larger part of the scientific 1950-51 £m 193.00 299.00 223.00 65.00 ' .82 780.82 1949-50 £m 1S9.25 304.70 207.45 57-73 •7i 759-86 1949 10,300 1,900 12,200 and technical effort of the country than can be justified," the research and development programme must be limited to "those projects whose solution is most vital to our defence and seem most likely to be achieved in the not-too-distant future." The greater part of the year's expenditure on research and development will be for the Air Force, and under this heading, and on the Air Force itself, rather more than an extra £-zo million will be spent. Army and Navy costs will be approximately the same as in the previous year." In connection with regular recruitment it is stated that a high level cannot be expected unless Service, conditions compete in attractiveness with those of. civilian life, and one of the principal considerations is the provision of married quarters. It was to enable greater progress to be made in this connection that the Armed Forces (Housing Loans) Act was passed last your. This provides ^40 million to be borrowed over the next five years, but money will be advanced only for Service quarters which are "so sited as to be suitable for civilian occupation should the Services no longer require them." Of the immediate requirement at home for 30,000 new permanent houses, a start will be made on 6,000 to 7,000 houses in 1950-51. Overseas, where the need is also very urgent, work will start on 2,000 more new quarters. It is con- sidered extremely important to persuade men to remain in the Service after their original engagements have expired. The progress that has been made in recruiting for the Volunteer Reserve and Auxiliary Forces is indicated by the following figures :— Royal Auxiliary Air Force Strength at 1st Jan., 1949 1950 Target .i>5°9 5.900 29,000Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 4.459 8,TOO 38,000 Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve 3.241 5.150 15.000 The expansion of the R.Aux.A.F. and the R.A.F.V.R. is reported as slow, but satisfaction is expressed that the numbei of pilots in these Forces is almost up to requirements. Some comments on the Defence Estimates and upon the strength of the R..A.F. are made in a leading article in this issue. HEALTHY OFFSHOOT: Over 100 members and friends were present at the recent first annual dinner of the Hatfield Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society. De Havilland personalities here are, 'eft to right, Mr. Martin Sharp (public relations), Mr. Harry Povey (general production manager), Mr. R. M. Clarkson, O.B.E. (chief of aerodynamics) and Mr. C. C. Walker (director and chief engineer) ; iust visible beyond is Capt. J. Laurence Pritchard, R Ae.S. secretary. Others present in- cluded Sir John Buchanan (R.Ae.S. president), Mr. J. E.Walker (Branch president), Mr. N. E. Rowe (vice-president), Mr. D. C. Smith (R.Ae.S. assistant secretary), S'r Geoffrey de Havi'land, Mr. F. T. hiearle. Mr. W. E. Nixon and Mr. E. J. Mann.
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