asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many pilots will be made redundant as a result of the defence cuts; and whether he is satisfied with the compensation arrangements in view of the prospects of finding alternative employment, having regard to the number of unemployed civil pilots.

Slightly more than 300 pilots will be made redundant. The compensation arrangements, which have to be directed towards the loss of career prospects within the Service rather than individual job prospects, compare favourably with previous redundancy schemes.