Soddim
"but I could not envisage a combined service doing any one of the single service roles in the same professional way."
Bollocks.
The Royal Marines are part of the Royal Navy. Very few would contend that they are anything other than the finest man for man regular soldiers in the world.
The FAA is part of the Navy. Find me an unbiased observer anywhere in the world who won't rank a Naval Aviator above a Airforce pumper in any countries military. I know that you crabs on here will never admit it, but if you ask the customer, either RM or army, who they would like to be supported by, and the answer will nine times out of ten be the RN.
"They should accept that if they want air support and don't get it there is a very good reason - someone else needs it more."
Or the RAF are, as usual, and not willing to go the extra mile to make others lives a bit easier as the RN (in)famously does. I have heard lots of abuse thrown at the RNs habit of being slightly more flexible with the rules in order to get the job done, but at the end of the day we are the service the customer prefers.
"In these austere times it is vital to apportion one's resources"
Very true, and both the FAA and AAC make every penny go so much further it isnt funny. The Army gets banter for treating their helicopters like landys, but their footprint is vanishingly small compared to the RAF, and even the FAA to be honest.