HC Deb 20 March 1917 vol 92 cc602-3
Mr. BILLING

(by Private Notice) asked the Prime Minister whether the Chairman of the Air Board has expressed his willingness to meet the Members of this House for the purpose of debating the present position of our Air Services; whether these proceedings will be private, and whether the chairman is prepared to receive written questions prior to such a meeting, that he may be enabled to answer them at the meeting; and also when is it proposed that this meeting should take place, and where it will be held?

The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the AIR BOARD (Major Baird)

The Prime Minister has asked me to answer this question. The President of the Air Board has been asked by the hon. Member for Brentford to meet a body of Members of both Houses, known as the Parliamentary Air Committee, who desire to lay their views before him. Lord Cowdray has consented to do so. The date of the meeting is not fixed, but it will take place in the House of Commons after the Easter Adjournment. The procedure will be quite informal.

Mr. BILLING

Do we understand that that meeting is to be open to any Member of this House?

Major BAIRD

It depends upon whether he is a member of the Air Committee, I imagine.

Mr. PRINGLE

Will the Chairman of the Air Board follow the example of the Food Controller, and invite Members generally to come?

Major BAIRD

One reason why they have not all been invited is that he was not asked to do so; if he were asked to do it, I have no doubt my Noble Friend would find no difficulty whatever in meeting any Member who may desire to meet him.

Mr. LYNCH

As a member of the Air Committee of this House, may I protest against such a meeting being restricted to members of the Committee?

Mr. SPEAKER

The hon. Member must ask a question, not make a statement.

Major BAIRD

My Noble Friend was asked by the Chairman of the Parliamentary Air Committee whether he would meet the members of the Committee, and he said "Yes," and it is difficult to see what reason there can be for objecting to that.

Mr. BILLING

Will the hon. and gallant Gentleman give an undertaking that every Member of this House shall receive an invitation?

Mr. FABER

Is not Lord Cowdray a public official, and if he comes to the House of Commons as a public official can any meeting be restricted to the members of the Air Committee, or must it not of very necessity be extended to all Members of the House?

Major BAIRD

I think other Members can come if they want.

Mr. FABER

Will my hon. and gallant Friend put it much more clearly than that? If no doubt other people can come, will he not say plainly that this meeting is open to all Members of the House?

Major BAIRD

I thought I had said so. If they want to come they can come.

Mr. JOYNSON-HICKS

May I make a personal explanation? As Chairman of the Parliamentary Air Committee, with the sanction of the executive committee, I applied to Lord Cowdray to ask whether he would meet us to discuss certain points. I had no authority whatever to do so on behalf of the House generally, and it was purely a private meeting with a certain number of members who had banded themselves together. I should not have presumed to ask any Minister to meet the Members of the House generally.