Nimrod Aircraft

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average annual fuel defect rates of the Nimrod fleet per fifty flying hours were in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. (132978)

The average annual fuel system defect (‘fuel defect’ is defined as any reported fault relating to the aircraft fuel system) rate per 50 flying hours for the Nimrod fleet over the last 10 calendar years for which the information is currently available, is as follows:

	Defects per 50 flying hours
1996	3.93
1997	4.61
1998	4.72
1999	4.64
2000	3.83
2001	3.81
2002	3.83
2003	3.99
2004	4.75
2005	3.80

Volume 459: debated on Tuesday 1 May 2007