asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation how many of the B.E.A. services have been speeded up since 1st August; and what percentage increase in petrol consumption has resulted.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "Nine," and to the last part, "None, Sir."

Will the Parliamentary Secretary say how he gets an increase of speed without at the same time getting increased petrol consumption?

By the change of aircraft.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation if he will give a list of the services operated by the three Corporations, which when working to a full capacity, must of necessity involve a loss.

No, Sir. It would not be in the public interest to give this information.

If, as I believe to be the case, there are runs which are losing as much as £8,000 on a return trip, is it not time the public knew the true facts about British civil aviation?

To take individual routes out of the network of services provided would be unfair and would not give the correct picture.

Is it not a fact that certain aircraft are not being operated on their full permissible pay load and that as a result losses amounting to hundreds of thousands of pounds are taking place?

Permissible pay loads may not always coincide with the operator's view in regard to safety, and safety is the first factor.

If the Parliamentary Secretary cannot give the losses for individual lines, can he give the gross figure of loss?

The House will have that information when the accounts of the three Corporations are published shortly.

When the hon. Gentleman says that it would not be in the public interest to give the information, does he mean that it would be contrary to the public interest to give it, and, if so, would he say why?

No, Sir. One is prepared to give information which one's competitors are prepared to give. Discussions are going on now through the International Civil Aviation Organisation to get all airline operators to agree to give statistics which will enable the public to judge for themselves; such agreed statistics will not place one operator at a disadvantage with another in regard to the information provided.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation why B.O.A.C. have been failing to deliver passengers and mail in Teheran according to schedule.

Because of restrictions on transit imposed by certain Governments arising out of the cholera epidemic in Egypt and a report of plague in Persia.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the Dutch, Swedish and French airlines have been able to keep a regular service going merely because they took the trouble to avoid Baghdad and fly straight from Lydda to Teheran? Is it not a pity for the sake of British prestige that we are not capable of making some alternative arrangements?

The flight stages and the pay load to be carried over them must be left to the individual operator to determine.

It is not a fact that private charter companies are keeping up a very accurate schedule for their flights in this area.

It is not a question of accurate flights but of not being able to operate into a particular airport because of restrictions on account of health regulations. The first supplementary question suggested that certain points could have been reached by over-flying other points, but they were not over-flown in this case.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation what is the position of the construction of the third runway at Prestwick Airport; and whether he is now satisfied that development of the two existing runways will meet all reasonable needs.

In the present economic circumstances this work has necessarily been deferred. The answer to the second part of the Question is, "Yes, Sir, for the time being."

Will the Parliamentary Secretary give an assurance that these runways will be brought into a condition which will allow Prestwick to continue to fulfil the role of a first-class international airport, which the traffic during the past summer has abundantly justified?

Yes, Sir, and its meteorological conditions will assist in the matter.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation what is the present position concerning an allocation of films for the B.O.A.C. staff at Augusta, Sicily; and whether Augusta will remain a B.O.A.C. port of call after 31st December, 1947.

The first part of the Question is a matter of management and is the responsibility of the Corporation. Future staging post facilities in Italy for B.O.A.C. flying boat services are under discussion with the Italian authorities.

With regard to the first part of the Question, is the hon. Gentleman aware that the company is hoping, and has been hoping, to get these films and that nothing has been done about it? Is it not within the purview of the Minister to do something about it? With regard to the second part of the Question, will he definitely answer me whether or not Augusta has been turned down by the Italians after 31st December, which is very near now?

As to the first part of the Question, it is a matter of staff welfare in which the operator and the staff are desirous of providing facilities for persons in isolated spots. Any and every facility we as a Ministry and His Majesty's Government can properly give to the operator, we will give. As to the second part of the Question, Augusta is being operated under an interim agreement until a commercial agreement is negotiated. Those negotiations are at present being carried on, and we hope they will be brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

Can the hon. Gentleman say whether the name "Augusta, Sicily" is the name of a "Tory brat?"

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation why the empty seats in sectors other than Karachi to Singapore were not filled in the aircraft specially chartered to carry the Minister of Civil Aviation on his recent visit to Australia and the Far East in view of the waiting list of passengers, and the saving in cost of this trip to the taxpayer.

Because no space was available.

Is it not a fact that on certain sections of short haul, seats were available and were not available only for the long haul between Karachi and Singapore? Why were those empty seats over the short section not used?

No, Sir. I am afraid that the hon. Gentleman's information is wrong. A Lancastrian fitted out for the Australian route carries six persons, with sleeping bunks, and that is the passenger pay load throughout the route.

Can the Minister say that the aircraft was used for sleeping purposes and that the normal stops for sleeping were not made?

The answer is a combination of both. Stops were made and the aircraft was also used for sleeping purposes.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation why the contract recently given by his Department to the Feltham Sand and Gravel Company Limited was not put out to public tender.

The company is being granted a lease of gravel-bearing land at Heston owned by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in return for the sale by the company to the Ministry of a gravel bearing site at Stanwell. The company had already received planning consent to excavate there but the site is now required for housing London Airport employees.

In view of the business relationship in another connec- tion between the chairman of this company and the Parliamentary Secretary's brother, would it not hare been wiser, in order to prevent disquieting rumours getting about, to put this contract out to public tender?

I was completely unaware that there was any connection in any shape or form and I should very much doubt it, but I accept the hon. Gentleman's statement. My brother is an accountant but what he is associated with, goodness alone knows.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation in what respects the Tudor Aircraft has proved unsatisfactory for the North Atlantic; and what are the observations of the Courtney Committee of investigation on this matter.

An interim report by the Courtney Committee has been received, is under consideration by His Majesty's Government and until that consideration has been completed no useful purpose would be served by making any statement.

The Parliamentary Secretary made a statement on this matter about a fortnight ago and it was in order to elucidate the statement he then made that I asked this Question. What are the grounds for suggesting that this aircraft will not fly the North Atlantic, and is it true that the Courtney Committee, as announced on the wireless on Tuesday, has said that it could fly the North Atlantic?

In so far as the B.B.C. announcement is concerned, the hon. Member will remember that the B.B.C. stated "It is understood." Why the B.B.C. understood that I do not know. My previous statement was in relation to the B.O.A.C. claims that the weight, range and payload of the aircraft made it uneconomic, and any further questions should await the publication of the Report or a statement from the Government.

Does the Parliamentary Secretary mean to say that he had no evidence whatever, other than the assumption of B.O.A.C., for saying that the Tudor had been proved unsatisfactory for the North Atlantic service and that it would be unwise to permit it to do that service? Had he not already seen the Courtney Report?

No, Sir. The Courtney Committee had not reported: my answer to the House was on the basis of statements made by the operators and others in association with the aircraft. All the statements stand.

Can we take it for granted that the Courtney Report will be made public, and when may we expect its publication?

I cannot answer that question. All I can say is that it is under consideration by the Government, and that it is for the Government to make the decision and no doubt announce it to the House.

What is the purpose of the Courtney Report?

To find out the facts.

What facts?