§ 45. Mr. SIMMONDSasked the Prime Minister whether the Government will take advantage of the presence in this 381 country next year of the statesmen of the Dominions to hold an imperial air conference to discuss both the air defences and the commercial air services of the Empire?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Ramsay MacDonald)While it is not proposed that any formal conference should be held during the celebration of His Majesty the King's Silver Jubilee, His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom will, of course, as has already been stated, welcome the opportunity which will be afforded by the presence in this country of Dominion Prime Ministers for such personal and informal discussion of questions of common concern as may be thought desirable.
§ Mr. SIMMONDSWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that the British Government have so much leeway to make up that the Dominions are looking to the Home Government to give a lead?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI can assure the House that these two particular matters are being dealt with now, and I think the Government alone are able to estimate how to handle what really is a very intricate question of inter-Dominion importance.
§ Brigadier-General NATIONDoes not the Prime Minister think it will be more profitable to consider Imperial defence from the point of view of the three services combined and not the Air Force alone?