asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation if, having regard to the findings of his Department's reports on the air crashes at Speke in August, 1946, and Gambia in September, 1946; he will give an assurance that in future air accidents will be inquired into by a judicial body.

For the reasons given in my reply to the hon. Member for Orpington (Sir W. Smithers) on 28th January last, my noble Friend proposes that a court of inquiry in connection with an aircraft accident should be appointed only if the case presents problems of exceptional difficulty and public importance. No such appointment has been made since the inquiry in 1931 into the destruction of the airship R.101. My noble Friend has no power to appoint a court of inquiry to be held in any of the Colonies.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the British Air Line Pilots Association is very dissatisfied with the findings of the inquiries, and can he say how, if an official from his own Department should be held to be responsible for an accident, another official from the Ministry of Civil Aviation can possibly inquire into that accident?

Though, technically, the officer conducting the inquiry is an employee of the Ministry of Civil Aviation he is, quite rightly, apart from the Ministry and is not interfered with in the course of his duties in any shape or form either by the Minister or anyone else So far as the courts of inquiries are concerned, they are fact-finding bodies, and there is often disagreement as to the facts at the end of inquiries.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary consider the analogy of railways accidents, because there is a well-known procedure in respect to them which has been followed with great success for a very long time?

Yes, Sir, this is exactly the same principle, and if my noble Friend can only establish the same confidence with regard` to civil aviation accidents as my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport has established with regard to railway accidents, we shall be very happy. But I would point out that railway inquiries are by no means judicial inquiries. They are fact-finding investigations, and, should court proceedings follow, they follow independently of such inquiries.

In view of the fact that the tendency of these reports has been to lay the blame more and more on the pilot who, naturally, is seldom there to answer the charges, would not a judicial body allow his interests to be better represented?

No, Sir. This is a fact-finding body, and does not in any way rule out a court of inquiry, if the Minister thinks that the public interest demands it. It is an inquiry to find the facts, and to publish a report, as the inspector decides.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the confidence which he very properly desires for these inquiries is more likely to be obtained if persons whose interests or reputations are concerned were given the full right to cross-examine witnesses, so as to avoid the kind of farce that took place at yesterday's inquiry?

No, Sir, my experience has always been that the informal inquiry—man to man—is a far better way of securing real information as to cause, and that where court proceedings were likely to follow what a man said at the inquiry as to cause, the man was like an oyster, and, indeed, was told to be like an oyster by those who represented him.

Is there not this very important difference between a railway inquiry and an air inquiry that, whereas a passenger in a train who is injured by the negligence of the railway company or its servants can bring an action for damages against the company, the aircraft passenger is excluded by the terms of his contract from ever getting a penny by way of damages, whether there has been negligence or not?

That is a legal question entirely outside the scope of an inquiry into the cause of an accident.

The hon. Gentleman says that it is a fact-finding body, but does it not express an opinion at the end of its inquiry, and, indeed, something very nearly approaching a verdict?

It expresses an opinion as to the cause of the accident according to the facts as the inspector finds them.

In view of the very unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I propose to raise the matter on the Adjournment.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation how soon it is anticipated that facilities will be available for passenger air transport to and from the Dundee, Perth and Angus area of Scotland.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Dundee (Mr. Cook) on 4th June last.

Does the Parliamentary Secretary realise that that reply referred the hon. Member for Dundee (Mr. Cash) to a previous reply? May I further ask whether he realises the extreme urgency and need for these air facilities in that part of the world, and could he state when the review to which he referred in the reply before the last reply is likely to be available?

Not for some considerable time. The facts are that we have attempted to establish trunk routes, and Dundee is only a two-hour road or rail journey from Edinburgh and about 50 or 60 miles from Perth. It is felt, in the light of the present availability of aircraft, that the main trunk service is the one that serves best, bearing in mind both road and rail facilities.

Does the Parliamentary Secretary realise that it is not possible to get a train between the Angus area and the South after eight o'clock in the evening? That is one of the reasons why an air service from Dundee to the South would be of great convenience.

That is all appreciated, but as I said in reply to that Question last week, Scotland is very important, but we are being pressed from Wales, the West Country and the North-East, which, in fact, have so far no air service whatever.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that he is also being pressed by Northern Ireland?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation if the accounts of Air Training, Limited, will be submitted to Parliament in the same way as those of the aviation corporations.

Yes, Sir. It is proposed to regard Airways Training, Limited, as a subsidiary for the purposes of Section 21 (2) of the Civil Aviation Act, 1946, and accordingly that the Corporations' statements of accounts should include in a separate appendix an audited statement of accounts of this undertaking.

Can my hon. Friend, therefore, give the name of any director or directors who have been nominated by the Minister? Will any such director, who is receiving a salary as an employee of the Corporation, receive in addition fees as a director of the subsidiary organisation?

This is an organisation which is financed from capital subscribed by the airline Corporations, B.O.A.C. and B.E.A.C. The Directors are Mr. G. T. Meller, Sir Victor Tait, Mr. P. Wills, and Mr. J. E. V. Tysack. Two are from B.O.A.C. and two from B.E.A.C. and they are officials of those airlines. They are receiving salary as officials of those airlines, and they work in conjunction with these corporations as part of their normal duties, and there is no additional fee.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation if he is aware that in 1939, under private enterprise, the West Country was served by an air service, but at the moment no service is in operation with the exception of the Isles of Scilly; and when Cornwall and the West Country is to have an air service.

I am aware that in 1939 there were a number of services, which were almost entirely seasonal, catering for holiday traffic in the West Country during the summer months, mainly to and from the Scilly Islands. The present services to the Scilly Islands by British European Airways are operated to a larger frequency than before the war. As regards introduction of further services in e West Country, I regret that I cannot ke any statement until the completion the review referred to in my reply of May last to the hon. Member for Newrt (Mr. Peter Freeman).

May I ask the Parliamentary Secretary to give really active consideration and not just consideration to this matter of giving an air service to the West Country and Cornwall?

Yes, Sir, but I should be misleading the House and the hon. Member if I led him to believe that there was any likelihood of these services being introduced during this summer.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary say when the airport at Harrowbeer, near Yelverton, will be opened, and can he direct his attention to the West Country, instead of spending so much time in Scotland?

If it is true that the Corporation cannot do so this season, will the Parliamentary Secretary allow charter companies to run regular scheduled services to the West Country this summer?

No, Sir. That would be at variance with the Act.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation if he is aware that the present timing of the air service from Edinburgh to London is unsuitable for the needs of Edinburgh; and whether he will make arrangements for additional services to be inaugurated to serve these requirements.

Yes, Sir. Owing to the shortage of suitable aircraft, the British European Airways Corporation is able to operate only one service daily on the route Northolt—Edinburgh—Aberdeen—Shetlands. The Corporation is, however, hoping that circumstances will permit a reciprocal service to be brought into operation during the early autumn.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that we are holding a very important international musical festival and also an "Enterprise Scotland" exhibition within the next three months? Will he not consider providing extra facilities before that time?

Yes, Sir, the Edinburgh Music and Drama Festival is a very commendable effort, and my noble Friend has promised the Lord Provost that everything possible, continentally and internally, will be done.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary explain why, two years after the war, he cannot supply an efficient service from the capital of England to the capital of Scotland?

Mainly because of the lack of aircraft.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what increased amounts of food have now been allocated to Germany to meet the serious shortage; and what is the present calorific value of the amount now being actually received per head.

A special emergency allocation of cereals, equivalent to 137,000 tons of flour, will increase the expected arrivals of cereals for human consumption in the combined zones to the equivalent of about 400,000 tons of flour in both June and July. The average daily calorie value of the ration actually available to normal consumers was slightly less than 1,000 calories in May and is likely to remain at about this level in June.

Does my right hon. Friend consider that this amount—1,000 calories daily—is really adequate to keep the Germans from starving?

I do not think it is adequate, but the whole world is short of food, and I have to take into consideration representations made to me on behalf not only of Germany, but of countries she invaded.

Will my right hon. Friend be good enough to bear in mind the common sense and desirability of only announcing publicly in Germany the total ration which can be fully honoured?

Yes, Sir. I am going into that. I think it is very desirable to make sure of what can be got, and tell them only about what is available. I am altering and reorganising the whole of the Cereals Division of the control body.

Will the right hon. Gentleman tell us the country of origin of this special allocation? Is it Eastern Europe or America.

I do not understand that question.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is satisfied that the maximum advantage is being taken of vegetable supplies from Holland in order to ease the food situation in Germany; and whether he proposes to enter into arrangements with the Dutch Government to this end as and when vegetables become available.

Negotiations are now in progress between the bizonal authorities and the Netherlands Government with a view to obtaining the maximum quantity of Dutch vegetables for the Western zones of Germany.

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that last year similar negotiations were initiated, and that a very considerable proportion of the vegetables available were not taken, and were thrown away? Will he make quite sure that that does not happen again?

I am doing my best to carry on all these negotiations to get the maximum amount of food to the Germans, but my hon. Friend must remember that the dollar situation does interfere with things, and that I have to deal with the American authorities as well.

Is not the main reason for the food shortage in Germany the fact that Russian policy refuses to allow Germany to be treated as an economic whole?

That does affect the situation, but I have described that in the recent Debate. I am now taking steps to overcome that.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many tons of grain, potatoes, sugar and other foods have been sent from the Soviet zone to Western Germany in the past year.

Up to the end of May, 126,000 tons of grain, 110,000 tons of potatoes and 24,000 tons of sugar were delivered from the Soviet zone to the Combined British and American zones of Germany and the British and American sector of Berlin. All these deliveries were from the 1946 crop.

While we all wish that these figures had been larger, is it not unfortunate, in view of these figures, that a public statement should have been made less than a fortnight ago to the effect that no food at all had been sent; and is it not now clear that that statement was a lie?

No, Sir. What I said then was perfectly true, that there had been no food put into the pool for Germany which corresponded to the amount we had had to buy outside by dollar purchases. All this food to which I have referred has been paid for by barter in steel, or some other way.

Can the right hon. Gentleman tell us how these figures compare with the total import requirements of the zone in question?

I should want notice of that Question.

Could the right hon. Gentleman say how these figures which he has just read out would have compared with the comparable figures for a prewar year? They would, presumably, have been very much greater then.

It would be infinitesimal compared with the distribution of food from that zone to the Ruhr before the war.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will consider classifying Hamburg, Bremen and the Ruhr as distressed areas to be afforded priority in respect of food imports, if necessary at the expense of their agricultural hinterland.

Large towns in the British zone are already being given a slight preference over other districts in the allocation of food, both for normal and for priority consumers. It would be unwise to make too great a distinction between town and country, since many rural districts are now short of food owing to the large numbers of refugees who have been sent to them.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when he anticipates that he will be able to take action to implement his declared policy of socialising heavy industry in the British zone of Germany.

Every effort is being made to overcome the obstacles, which have hitherto delayed the fulfilment of our policy, but I am not yet in a position to state when a further announcement will be made. One of the main difficulties is connected with the drawing up of an equit- able basis of compensation for foreign interests in Germany.

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that he does lay himself open to a very great deal of criticism when the policy the Government are carrying out in this country cannot be carried out over there?

I quite agree that I have announced a policy, but I cannot override the rights of other countries, and when these rights exist, I have to negotiate about them.

Will the right hon. Gentleman make certain that socialising does not in due course become subsidising, to the great detriment of the export trade of this country?

That has not occurred in this country.

rose—

This is becoming hypothetical, I think.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if any parts of the British zone in Germany are yet being taken over by the Dutch Government for administration.

No, Sir.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that the Dutch, who made a great contribution in the war, could improve the economic situation in Germany by taking over part of the British zone, and, at the same time, save the British taxpayer money?

The Dutch have provided a certain number of troops, but as for taking over a zone—

P of it.

Do let me answer the question. Taking over a zone has other implications. They are a part of the Allied British occupation at the present moment, which is, I think, the correct method to adopt.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any arrangements are now possible to enable the British fathers of children born to German mothers to despatch to Germany essential requirements for their children, apart from or beyond the parcel weight limit heretofore allowed; and if the investigation on this matter has been concluded.

No, Sir. The despatch is allowed of 44 lb. of second-hand clothing in a month, and of food and medicines on certain conditions. In my view, these arrangements are adequate.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that I was promised, many weeks ago now, that an investigation would be made into this matter, and led to believe that such fresh arrangements might be made available; and in view of the fact that so many British fathers of children born to German mothers desire to fulfil their obligations, could not this matter be further considered?

I am willing to consider it further, but, you know, the weight which is allowed is pretty adequate.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether arrangements were made during the recent discussions with the U.S. authorities in Germany to ensure that the efficiency of the Bipartite Economic Council is not jeopardised by delays in obtaining sanction for each item of legislation from the Bipartite Board.

No formal arrangements of this kind were, or could be, made since the Bipartite Board must clearly itself reach agreement on the Ordinances submitted before it can approve them. The British and American authorities are, however, not likely to jeopardise by their own action the efficient working of a scheme they themselves have introduced to deal with pressing economic problems.

Will these measures have to be submitted to Berlin, or will there be the necessary machinery in Frankfurt to deal with all except important questions of policy?

Yes, Sir, in Frankfurt.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is now in a position to make a statement regarding the resumption of postal and telecommunications services for business purposes to and from Germany.

Yes, Sir. Quadripartite agreement has now been reached to the admission of transactional correspondence in the international postal service to and from Germany. The service will commence on 15th June.

(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can make a statement regarding the action taken by the French Government to alter the frontiers of the Saar.

Yes, Sir. The French Government proposed to the Council of Foreign Ministers that the Saar should be economically integrated with France. They have not proposed political incorporation and they have made it clear that the Saar would have separate institutions from France. The French Government have recently put forward new proposals for the boundaries of the Saar. These proposals involve a considerable withdrawal from the present administrative frontier in the area between the old Saar and Luxembourg, but in the North-East and East certain districts containing lateral railways which serve the Saar industrial concentration are included. In these circumstances, I have informed the French Government that, subject always to decisions to be taken at the final peace settlement and to a satisfactory agreement being reached on the adjustment of the French reparations claim so as to take into account the value of the Saar, His Majesty's Government have no objection to the boundaries of the Saar as now proposed nor to the French intention to proceed with their plan to issue a new currency within the boundaries of the Saar as now defined, in place of German marks.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the estimated annual cost of the British delegation to U.N.O.; and whether the special cost-of-living allowances to members of the secretariat have been revised to meet the increased expenses they have now to meet in the U.S.A.

The estimated annual expenditure of the permanent United Kingdom Delegation to the United Nations is £214,000. This includes salaries and allowances of staff payable by the Foreign Office, in addition to those paid by the Service Departments, and includes also the cost of rent, telephones and telegrams, etc. It does not include provision for certain high ranking officers who also serve with the Military Mission in Washington. The allowances of the senior member of the Foreign Office staff of the United Kingdom Delegation are at present under consideration; those of the subordinate staffs were revised last year. His Majesty's Government are not responsible for the salaries and allowances of the Secretariat of the United Nations. It is understood, however, that the new scales of Cost-of-Living Allowances were instituted from January 1st, 1947, for certain categories of the United Nations staff. The whole question of salaries and allowances is under consideration by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Does the figure which my right hon. Friend gave us include the cost of special conferences, such as the one recently held at Moscow? If not, can he tell us how much that conference cost?

No, Sir. That is nit the Question on the Order Paper, and I would ask my hon. Friend to put down a separate Question. This one deals with U.N.O.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that British embassy officials in Athens have consistently tried to obstruct the revival of trade between Greece and Yugoslavia; and if he will reverse this policy.

There is no truth whatever in this allegation.

Withdraw.

Why? Let hon. Members keep quiet a moment. Can my right hon. Friend give an absolute assurance that at no time during the last 18 months has any Embassy official spoken or acted in the way suggested in the Question? Will he do his best positively to encourage this trade, for the mutual benefit of the two countries?

Why should I be asked to give such an assurance when the whole conception of the Question is a lie?

On a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. Is the right hon. Gentleman entitled to use that un-Parliamentary word about a Question by an hon. Member?

The right hon. Gentleman did not say that the hon. Member was a liar. He said that the statement which is reported is a lie. That is a different thing.

Is there any difference, Mr. Speaker, with great respect?

The right hon. Gentleman first of all said that the statement was quite untrue and without foundation; and then he used stronger words; but he did not refer to the hon. Member; he referred to the statement. I think that the right hon. Gentleman was justified.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Greek Frontier Commission stationed in Salonika has been allowed to send its members into Bulgarian and Albanian territory to investigate the allegations made by Greece against these countries of giving aid to rebels in their attacks upon the Greek army.

I assume the hon. Member refers to the subsidiary group of the Frontier Commission based on Salonika, which the Security Council decided to send to Northern Greece pending its consideration of the main Commission's report. The sub-Commission notified the Bulgarian Government on 28th May that it wished to investigate Greek allegations that bandits had evaded pursuit by crossing the Bulgarian frontier, and asked for facilities on Bulgarian soil. The sub-Commission arrived at the frontier on 2nd June, but was refused admission to Bulgaria. The Bulgarian Government in the meantime informed the sub-Commission that it would be allowed to enter Bulgaria as from 10th June. The sub-Commission has, as yet, put forward no request for permission to enter Albania.

Were the Commission not received on the Bulgarian frontier on 4th June with fixed bayonets?

I do not know how they were received.

In view of the fact that the Treaty with Bulgaria has not come into operation, and that there is an inter-Allied commission in control of Bulgaria, how does it come about that the Bulgarian Government were able to refuse entry to this commission?

The Bulgarian Government, notwithstanding the Allied commission, I think, are Sovereign within their own frontiers, and I am not too sure, speaking from memory, whether or not the existence of an Allied council would determine who should or who should not be allowed into the country. I should like notice of that question.

In view of the fact that the Bulgarian Government have already agreed to let the commission enter their territory to make investigation, are not the questions coming from the other side of the House only jeopardising the situation, and making it more difficult?

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the British representative on the Austrian Treaty Commission has now been successful in his demand that a committee of experts, as laid down at the Moscow Conference, should examine the details of German assets in Austria.

I regret that up to the moment it has not yet been possible to obtain agreement with the Soviet Delegation in the Treaty Commission at Vienna on the terms of reference to enable the Committee of Experts to get to work on the establishment of concrete facts relating to German assets in Austria, and so to carry out the intention of the agreement on this subject reached at Moscow. The discussions are continuing.

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that the vast proportion of these so-called German assets consists really of bona fide Austrian assets confiscated by the Nazis?

Well, that is a very disputable point. The hon. Member had better wait for the facts.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware of the anxiety of the inhabitants of Carinthia, who are in daily fear of a Yugoslav invasion of this frontier province; and whether the British representative on the Austrian Control Commission has been given instructions to reassure the Austrian people that this Austrian province in the British zone will receive adequate protection.

I am aware that rumours of possible Yugoslav incursions have lately been prevalent and have produced some nervousness in Carinthia. I am informed, however, that this nervousness has now decreased as a result of the firm attitude of the three Western Powers during the Moscow Conference to the Yugoslav claims. The British Information Services in Austria have made the position of His Majesty's Government clear to the Austrian people, and it would seem unnecessary to instruct the High Commissioner to take any further action. The situation will, however, continue to be carefully watched.

Many thanks.

asked the Minister of Defence how many committees are at the moment dealing with matters concerning the standardisation of non-warlike equipment.

There are numerous Departmental and inter-Departmental bodies dealing with the standardisation of particular categories of non-warlike stores used by the Services. I have recently appointed a Joint Non-Warlike Stores Standardisation Committee to give some central direction to the study of this matter, and to co-ordinate the activities of these bodies.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are over 70 committees dealing with this subject at the present time?

We are not dealing with a central subject. There may be a number of small expert committees dealing with the many particular commodities which require standardisation.

Whatever the number of committees involved, will my right hon. Friend assure us that standardisation will not lead to disastrous consequences in design, as it so often does?

Will my right hon. Friend avail himself of the services of the British Standards Institution, which has done such marvellous work in this direction?

I think my Department is in close touch with that Institution.

What is the definition of, "non-warlike equipment," if it comes under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Defence?

It covers such items as military clothing, boots and shoes, and perhaps nuts and bolts.

asked the Minister of Defence how many rooms are being reserved in the tourist and other hotels in Copenhagen; and when it is expected that this accommodation will be released.

I am informed that four British Naval officers and 40 Army officers are at present living in requisitioned accommodation in the Tourist Hotel, all of which is being vacated on 1st July. The Tourist is the only hotel in Copenhagen occupied by British Service personnel.

asked the Minister of Food what quantities by weight, of cheese were available for civilian consumption from home production and by importation, respectively, for each of the following years: 1944, 1945, 1946, and for the period June, 1946, to June, 1947.

As the answer contains a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.