asked the Secretary of State for India the causes of the delay in granting permission to the Dutch aircraft to Batavia to carry out a further series of flights over that portion of the route which lies over Indian territory; and whether permission has now been given for these flights to be continued?

It has not yet been possible to authorise a regular service across India owing to the incompleteness of the ground organisation, though some trial flights have been permitted. The question of permitting further flights is now under reference to the Government of India and until I am in possession of their views I am not in a position to make any more definite statement.