§ 42. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Secretary of State for Air whether he can report any further progress in the negotiations for the new British-German air-traffic agreement and why, seeing that the Franco-German air-traffic agreement has already been signed and is in operation, the Anglo-German agreement has been so long under negotiation?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for AIR (Sir Samuel Hoare)As regards the first part of the question, the text of the proposed agreement has been referred to the other Government Departments concerned in this country, and I hope that it will be possible to submit an agreed draft to the German authorities at a very early date. As regards the second part, negotiations for an air traffic agreement between this country and Germany were already in active progress before the recent Franco-German agreement was drafted, and, when the latter agreement was drafted, the German authorities requested that it, and not the British 2799 draft already submitted, should be taken as the basis of the desired British-German Agreement. This involved fresh consideration and consultation in regard to the new text. Every effort has been and is being made to expedite the conclusion of the agreement.
§ Commander BELLAIRSAre these air route agreements negotiated by the Air Ministry or by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs?
§ Sir S. HOAREAll foreign agreements are negotiated through the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, but in a case of this kind he would obviously consult the Air Ministry.