WORKS, BUILDINGS, AND LANDS. (Hansard, 11 March 1920)

§ Captain W. BENN
On this Vote I should like to ask the Under-Secretary, or the Secretary of State, one or two questions. This is a Vote for works, buildings and lands, and the questions I wish to ask relate particularly to new works, additions and alterations, shown under Sub-heading B. Can we be told more about the provision of accommodation for Coastguards at Calshot? On this I should like to ask for an amplification of what the right hon. Gentleman said about Coastguard services. I do not think anything was said fully about that question. We believe that a great deal of the services at present rendered by the Coastguards could be done by the Air Force. One Minister holds two offices, on the plea that he can co-ordinate the work between the two. He says he would go further in that direction, and here is a case in point. There is a large force of Coastguards who do on foot in an obsolete way a great deal of work that could be done very efficiently by a service of flying boats stationed round the coast. So far as we can gather from this item, at Calshot, which is one of the largest and most important Naval Flying Stations, they are building Coastguards huts. I know Calshot very well, and there used to be no Coastguards' cottages there. Then why spend £6,000, if that has been done, in rebuilding Coastguards' cottages there? Will the hon. Gentleman kindly make a statement as to the policy of the Air Ministry in regard to Coastguard services, and as to how far it is proposed to take the obvious step in advance of giving some of these duties to the Air Service to perform?
Then, again, the Middle East programme for aerodromes is a very interesting 1672 one and I think it is obviously right that this should be the place where big aerodromes are provided. The climate of Egypt, as we know, is an all-day flying climate. The only thing is that people who learn to fly there are not always prepared for the buffeting they get in less suitable climates, especially that of this country. Assuming that Egypt must be, not only the Charing Cross of commercial aviation, but the large training ground for pilots, we should expect to find, and we do find, a large provision for aerodromes there, but I should like to ask the hon. Gentleman a few detailed questions. There are the barracks at Abassia," quite close to Cairo, and £20,000 is to be taken for providing regimental accommodation there. At the same time I invite the attention of hon. Members to Item No. 22, which shows £65,000 as the estimated cost of office accommodation for officers and men at Cairo. Abassia is within a ten minutes' tram ride of Cairo. I do not like to suggest that it is the lure of the town, but would it not be better, if there is a large regimental establishment at Abassia, that the officers should be there. Perhaps this-suggestion is mal apropos, but the hon. Gentleman can possibly tell me if there is anything in it. Then with regard to Items 20 and 21, relating to Aboukir and Alexandria, Aboukir is only a very short distance from Alexandria, and is the place where a large flying school was started during the War. Here, again, I may be wrong in suggesting that a concentration would be a good thing, but about Aboukir there is another question. I fancy that some years ago, when the aerodrome was selected, the patch of desert chosen was so near the coast that novices in flying would sometimes get blown out to sea on land machines, and I think one or two were lost in that way. It could not be changed during the War, because these things take time, but I would like to ask whether that has been taken into account. Then, as regards individual aerodrome? and their possible concentration. What is the object of putting No. 23 (Heliopolis), No. 19 (Abassia) (which is absolutely next door to Heliopolis), and No. 22 (Cairo) in three separate items? I should also like to ask how do the Civil Aviation Branch stand as regards these aerodromes, which appear on the military Vote and appear to be under the control of the Chief of the Air Staff. Certainly it would seem to 1673 me that primarily they have to do with the civilian part of the work, and that the greatest use that will be made of these aerodromes for aviation developments will be a civilian use. Egypt is the centre for flights from Europe to the East, and I would suggest that this provision of aerodromes interests the Director of Civil Aviation. I did ask this on Vote A. Here is a Minister who, we think, should be a whole-time Minister, because it does require—despite the very able assistance which I am sure my hon. Friend would give him—a whole-time service to co-ordinate an office, and we want to know what co-ordination does exist between the Department of the Chief of the Air Staff and that of the Director of Civil Aviation. We find an enormous Vote for aerodromes and new works, and later on a similar Vote on behalf of the Director of Civil Aviation. An aerodrome or landing ground is a landing ground; it is not a military or civil landing ground, but a landing ground. Do the two Departments merely meet at the Air Council, or is there some interdigitation in their councils or functions that insures the proper smooth joint working that there should be?

§ Major TRYON
With regard to the Coastguard Service, I need hardly say that any development of the Air Force for coastal use would be a thing which we should welcome, because we naturally want to see all our movements developed. This particular building, however, is in a different position. When we took over from the Admiralty a certain station, we took over this particular building, which is in the middle of the station, and we did that on the understanding that we would give them a new building somewhere else. We are giving them a new building somewhere else, as part of the undertaking on which we secured this particular station. It is simply the fulfilment of an obligation undertaken on our behalf during the War.

§ Captain BENN
I am much obliged to the hon. Gentleman. I understand that the buildings that are at Calshott have to be replaced, but could he tell us now what the Air Ministry is doing to take over definitely from the Admiralty part of the coastguard duties? That is a very interesting problem.

Lieut-Colonel MALONE
And could the hon. Gentleman say why it is necessary 1674 to re-build these buildings, seeing that the Coastguard Service at Calshott has been suspended for at least six years?

§ Major TRYON
I am not prepared, without notice, to say for what purpose the buildings are required, but the fact remains that we promised to provide them, and we are doing so. I need hardly say that we shall bear in mind the hon. and gallant Gentleman's suggestion, and if the Admiralty are willing to use the Air Force in coastguard services nobody will be more delighted than ourselves. With regard to Aboukir, Alexandria, and Cairo, I am not prepared, without longer warning, to go into that question, but there are many cases in this country, and doubtless there also, where we are already tied to certain stations. We are trying to avoid any duplication of unnecessary stations, and I entirely agree with that.