asked the Secretary of State for Defence why Royal Air Force helicopter pilots receive fixed-wing training to a more sophisticated level than Royal Naval helicopter pilots; and whether he will economise by concentrating the training for both Services on a cheaper aircraft such as the Bulldog now used for this purpose by the Royal Navy.
Royal Navy pilots are recruited to specialise on helicopters, and the fixed-wing training they receive is to provide basic experience in flying and airmanship by a cheaper method than training by helicopter from the outset. Royal Air Force pilots are not recruited as specialist helicopter aircrew. They are all trained as qualified fixed-wing pilots and then selected for an operational role, a number becoming helicopter pilots. The requirement for basic fixed-wing training is therefore different in the two Services and it is not practicable for it to be concentrated for both Services on a cheaper aircraft such as the Bulldog.
| Royal Navy | Army | Royal Air Force | ||||||
| 1. Medical Services | ||||||||
| Lieutenant General (or equivalent) | … | … | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Major General (or equivalent) | … | … | … | 3 | 7 | 5 | ||
| Brigadier (or equivalent) | … | … | … | … | 2 | 11 | 15 | |
| Other Officers | … | … | … | … | … | 420 | 865 | 672 |
| Total Officers | … | … | … | … | … | 426 | 884 | 693 |
| 2. Dental Services | ||||||||
| Lieutenant General (or equivalent) | … | … | — | — | — | |||
| Major General (or equivalent) | … | … | … | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Brigadier (or equivalent) | … | … | … | … | — | 2 | 2 | |
| Other Officers | … | … | … | … | … | 99 | 207 | 129 |
| Total Officers | … | … | … | … | … | 100 | 210 | 132 |
asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the posts held by officers in the medical and dental branches of each of the three Services
| ROYAL NAVY | |||
| Rank | Post | ||
| Medical: | |||
| Surgeon Vice-Admiral | … | … | Medical Director General (Navy). |
| Surgeon Rear Admiral | … | Medical Officer-in-Charge, RN Hospital, Haslar*. | |
| Medical Officer-in-Charge, RN Hospital, Stonehouse†. | |||
| Dean of Naval Medicine, Institute of Naval Medicine. | |||
| Surgeon Commodore | … | … | Director of Health and Research. |
| Director of Medical Personnel and Logistics. | |||
| Dental: | |||
| Surgeon Rear Admiral (Dental) Director of Naval Dental Services. | |||
| * To be Surgeon Rear Admiral (Naval Hospitals) from 1st July 1975. | |||
| † To be Surgeon Rear Admiral (Ships and Establishments) from 1st September 1975. | |||
| ARMY | ||||
| Rank | Post | |||
| Medical: | ||||
| Lieutenant General | … | … | Director General of Army Medical Services. | |
| Major General | … | … | … | Deputy Director of Army Medical Services. |
| Director of Medical Services United Kingdom Land Forces. | ||||
| Director of Medical Services British Army of the Rhine. | ||||
| Commandant and Post-Graduate Dean, Royal Army Medical College. | ||||
| Director of Army Psychiatry. | ||||
| Director of Army Medicine. | ||||
| Director of Army Surgery. | ||||