asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish details of the total numbers of RAF aircraft on charge in each of the years since release of the previous figures to Parliament in July 1968, which covered the period from 1950 to 1967.

The total numbers of RAF aircraft on charge are:

1968	2,526
1969	2,359
1970	2,296
1971	2,192
1972	2,152
1973	2,030
1974	2,019
1975	1,914
1976	1,841

These numbers include aircraft in store and aircraft undergoing servicing or repair which were excluded from the strength figures given on 2nd July 1968.—[Vol. 767, c. 210.]