§ 66. Sir EDWARD GRIGGasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether any and, if so, what communications by letter, interview, or otherwise, took place between the Air Ministry and the Manchester City Council or its officers with reference to the City of Manchester (Ringway Airport) Compulsory Purchase Order, 1934, during the period 9th October, 1934, to 8th February, 1935?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for AIR (Sir Philip Sassoon)Apart from informal inquiries of the Air Ministry as to when a decision as to confirmation would be reached, the only communications were a semi-official letter to the town clerk dated 19th January, 1935, asking for additional information on certain points affecting the use of the site at Ringway as an aerodrome, and the town clerk's reply of 28th January.
§ Mr. FLEMINGOn a point of Order. In view of the importance of that reply to Manchester Members, would the hon. Gentleman kindly repeat it as the noise on our left made it impossible for us to hear him.
§ 67. Sir E. GRIGGasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether any consideration has been given to the possibility of establishing a joint air-port to serve the whole business population residing in or between Manchester, Liverpool, Southport and Wigan; and whether, as a central site is available for that purpose at Haydock Park, and as such an air-port would provide more frequent air services than three or four separate airports, and as its establishment would result in a considerable saving of the ratepayers' money, he will advise the Manchester City Council to abandon its intention of constructing another separate air-port at Ringway, where a smaller business population would be served?
§ Sir P. SASSOONThe possibility of a joint air-port serving two or more of the places mentioned has been considered, but my hon. Friend will appreciate that the advantages of rapid communication are to a large extent lost unless each city or town has its own aerodrome. The aerodrome sites actually selected for Liverpool, Manchester and Southport are more conveniently situated and more likely to meet the respective needs of each than the site at Haydock Park, and my Noble Friend is not prepared to advise the Manchester City Council in the sense suggested.
§ Sir E. GRIGGIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the site at Haydock Park is in fact connected with Manchester by better communications than the proposed site at Ringway?
§ Sir P. SASSOONThat is obviously not the opinion of the local authority on the matter.
§ 68. Sir E. GRIGGasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air on what grounds he has decided to issue an order for the compulsory acquisition of land at Ringway, in the county of Cheshire, by the Manchester City Council for the purpose of making a second city air-port; and whether he will publish the report of the officer who held the local inquiry into the proposal?
§ Sir P. SASSOONMy Noble Friend decided to confirm the order made by the Manchester City Council after carefully considering all the circumstances, including the needs of the city for better and more extensive aerodrome facilities than were available elsewhere. It is not the practice to publish the reports of officers who hold public inquiries in such cases.
§ 69. Brigadier-General MAKINSasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether before appointing Wing-Commander Allen, A.F.C., as assessor to Mr. Ewart Rhodes for the conduct of the local inquiry into the proposed airport at Ringway, he gave consideration to the fact that Wing-Commander Allen had already reported in favour of the Ring-way site to the Manchester City Council?
§ Sir P. SASSOONMy hon. and gallant Friend is under a misapprehension in regarding the officer mentioned as an assessor. He attended simply for the purpose of answering any questions on technical points which arose and acted in no way in a judicial capacity.
§ Brigadier-General MAKINSWhether this gentleman is called an assessor or not, is it not the case that he was there on the board at the local inquiry, having already prejudged the issue?
§ Sir E. GRIGGIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the officer in question not merely answered questions but asked them throughout the inquiry?
§ Sir P. SASSOONThe officer in question was not in any sense acting in a judicial capacity. He was only there to answer technical questions, and, as this was a technical matter, it was suitable that he should have been there.