HC Deb 25 July 1935 vol 304 cc2000-1
37. Mr. R. BEAUMONT (for Major HERBERT)

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether there are any regulations governing the hours of employment of pilots of commercial aeroplanes carrying goods or passengers; and, if there are such regulations, by what means are they enforced?

Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTER

There are no such regulations, but pilots have to be medically re-examined in certain specified cases, e.g., if they have done 125 hours' flying within a period of 30 consecutive days since the last medical examination.

Mr. PALING

Do I understand that there are no regulations covering the hours and rates of pay, and is it not a fact that some of these pilots are very badly paid?

Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTER

The question relates to hours. If the hon. Member wishes to inquire about wages, I should like to see the question on the Paper. As regards hours, I think the hon. Member will realise the extraordinary difficulty of laying down hard-and-fast rules. A pilot may encounter a good deal of bad weather and may have to get through with the mails, and it would be quite impossible always to comply with, say, an eight-hour-day rule, but the regulations show that care is taken to ensure that pilots do not have to fly too long hours.

Mr. EVERARD

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he will communicate with the Guild of Air Pilots to see whether some arrangement cannot be come to whereby at rush times, such as holiday times, when long hours are worked, steps could be taken to regularise the hours?

Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTER

I think that if the Guild of Air Pilots has any suggestion to make it should communicate with me.

Mr. PALING

Does not the right hon. Gentleman realise that in the case of flying, where so very much depends on the pilot, it is necessary to have some regulation of the number of hours that they may fly, in spite of the difficulties which the right hon. Gentleman has indicated?

Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTER

I agree that it is of the utmost importance that pilots should not be overworked or over-flown, but the very fact that we have to provide for exceptional cases, such as come by a sudden accident of the weather, shows that it is almost impossible to lay down hard-and-fast rules.