§ 8. Mr. KIRKWOODasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the practical difficulties in the way of organising an air-ambulance service for the conveyance of urgent medical and surgical cases to the hospitals and infirmaries in Glasgow; and whether he will make arrangements to enable an aeroplane to be hired in case of urgent need?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for SCOTLAND (Mr. Skelton)The extent to which aeroplanes could be used for the conveyance of medical and surgical cases in the Highlands and Islands area is limited in the first place by the fact that suitable landing places are not available in many of the islands, and except in fine weather conditions the maintenance of an aeroplane or seaplane service may hot at all times be practicable. In the second place any arrangements that might be made with a company or organisation for the maintenance of an air-ambulance service would require to include the reservation of a number of aeroplanes for use on requisition, but 910 the uncertainty as to whether, owing to the unfavourable conditions which I have mentioned, these aeroplanes could in fact be used oh any given occasion would make the payment of a subsidy for the maintenance of the service a. somewhat doubtful use of public money. The policy of the Department of Health in the administration of the Highlands and Islands (Medical Service) Fund, has been to encourage the development of a local hospital service with skilled surgeons for the treatment of both urgent and other cases. If, however, pending the development of such a local service in any district it were found that the practical difficulties in the way of maintaining an air-ambulance service would be overcome, my right hon. Friend would be very glad to co-operate with any organisation who would undertake the local arrangements for the transport of urgent cases by aeroplane or seaplane to the nearest available hospital.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODIs the hon. Gentleman not aware that there are eight landing-places which have been examined and found suitable for what is required? They stretch from the Crinan Canal to Stornoway and Tyree and Mull. The only place they cannot land upon is Skye. They have already transported three individuals, one a fisherman, another a shepherd, and a third the manager of a distillery, thus showing the breadth they are taking in. The Scottish Midland Airways, Limited, have already conveyed those three men and saved the lives of two with no expense.
§ Mr. SPEAKERWhat is the hon. Member's question?
§ Mr. SKELTONMay I give a reply?
§ Mr. KIRKWOODOn a point of Order. The Under-Secretary is quite prepared to give me a reply. This is a very serious matter. It is a matter of death or life for a number of people.
§ Mr. SPEAKERWill the hon. Member ask his question?
§ Mr. KIRKWOODI have put my question, and am waiting for an answer.
§ Mr. SKELTONAs far as I gathered that the hon. Member's statement was a question, he gave me cases where transport has been successfully carried out. The difficulty that I tried to indicate in 911 my answer is that if you elaborate this into a system people expect it to be always available, and from the nature of the circumstances it is not so. But I think I have also shown that, short of a system which I think would be unreliable, anything that can be done to facilitate air transport we shall consider again.