asked the Secretary of State for Defence, in assessing the suggested saving in defence costs by 1969–70, on what scale he assumed that delivery of the F111A and F111B would have taken place in that year and previous years on the basis of the full purchase that he contemplated.

On the basis that deliveries of the F111 A to the R.A.F. would begin in 1968–69. In line with normal practice, I cannot give further details of combat aircraft numbers. There is no U.K. interest in purchasing the F111B.