18 and 19. Captain BALFOURasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) whether any applications for facilities and assistance for the operation of aircraft to and from Jamaica have yet been received from British or from American concerns; and what reply has been given to any such applications;
(2) what support the Government of Jamaica are giving to the operation of the Kingston seaplane base by Caribbean Airways, Limited?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERTwo American companies have applied for facilities to operate aircraft to and from Jamaica. The first application was made early in 1928, but advantage was not taken of the permission then granted for the operation of an air service. The second application was received in 1930 from Pan-American Airways. Permission was granted for the operation of an air service to Jamaica in connection with the through service between North and South America. The service started in December, 1930, and is still being operated. 2570 Two British companies have also applied for permission to operate air services to and from Jamaica, and for financial assistance towards the operation of such services. The first application was received from Atlantic Airways, Limited, in 1929, and included proposals for the operation of air services in other parts of the West Indies. The proposal to operate an air service to Jamaica was not, however, pursued by the company.
The second application was submitted in 1930 by Caribbean Airways, Limited, a British company registered in Jamaica. This company proposed to build an air base, and to operate air services from Jamaica to Cuba, Haiti and the Bahamas in return for financial assistance amounting in all to about £100,000. The company has established an air base in Jamaica. Their application for financial assistance towards its development and the operation of the proposed air services was sympathetically considered both by His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and by the Government of Jamaica, but even though the total assistance asked for was subsequently reduced it has not been found possible to grant the assistance desired. In these circumstances the company are, I understand; unable to continue to operate the air base. Negotiations are now in progress between the local Government and Pan-American Airways for the lease of the air base to that company. If such a lease is granted, one of its conditions will be that the air base shall be available for use, upon payment of appropriate charges, by other aircraft without distinction of nationality.