asked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer, Official Report, 24 November, c. 521, if he is yet in a position to state the number of wide-bodied jets he proposes to acquire for conversion to a strategic tanker role.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer, Official Report, 24 November, c. 521, if he is yet able to indicate the likely aggregate cost of acquiring wide-bodied jets for conversion to a strategic tanker role.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ensure that any conversion work on wide-bodied jets for a strategic tanker role is carried out in the United Kingdom.

It is our policy that all work on British military aircraft should be carried out in the United Kingdom to the extent that this is the most practicable economic and timely method of accomplishing the task.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what facilities exist in the United Kingdom for the conversion of wide-bodied jets into a strategic tanker role.

There are various sites in the United Kingdom where the relevant hangarage, tools and work force could be established.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish an assessment of the relative advantages of the DC10 and Tristar aircraft, respectively, for conversion into strategic tanker aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

For reasons of commercial confidentiality it is not the practice to publish assessments of the relative advantages of competing systems.