FOURTH SCHEDULE.—(Minor and Conse quential Amendments to Principal Act.) (Hansard, 10 June 1936)

§ The ATTORNEY-GENERAL
I beg to move, in page 43, line 13, to leave out "after the figures '1897' there shall be inserted the words and," and to insert: for the words and in the case of a county council under Section sixty-nine of the Local Government Act, 1888 as if those purposes were mentioned in that Section ' there shall be substituted the wards 'or.' This and the following Amendment are simply designed to secure that the London County Council shall have power to borrow money for the provision of aerodromes.

§ Mr. H. MORRISON
I cannot refrain from thanking the Government on behalf of the London County Council for giving us borrowing powers. We hope this indicates a new, kindlier and more brotherly state of mind and that this precedent which the Attorney-General has so handsomely made will be followed with alacrity when we come to the discussion of our Measure.

§ Lord APSLEY
If borrowing powers are to be given, I hope they will be used to the greatest extent. At present there is no aerodrome from which you can get into the centre of London under 50 355 minutes. The Secretary of State makes speeches and says you cannot have an aerodrome in the centre of London without going to Hyde Park. There are many vacant spaces all round the centre of London. [An How. MEMBER: "Hackney Marshes."] Better still, there are Hounslow Heath, Wormwood Scrubs, and Hendon, which is used by the Air Force and could easily be used as a civil airport without being detrimental to the military strategy of the Air Force. I understand that the City of London is suggesting making a new airport at Ilford. I should like to ask if the Air Ministry has gone into it. If you are going to borrow money to spend it in creating a large airport at Ilford, how far is that going to be from the centre of London? How long will it take to get passengers to London? What rail, road and tube facilities are there? The position at present is a disgrace. There is no country in the world which has such bad facilities. I cannot accept the contention that there are no spaces vacant. You have only to fly round London to see many spaces that could be used and, with the borrowing powers that it is proposed to give to the County Council, I hope some measures will be taken to pursue a forward policy.

§ The ATTORNEY-GENERAL
I beg to move, in page 43, line 49, at the end, to insert: Section eleven.—In lieu of this section the following section shall have effect as from such date as His Majesty may by Order in Council appoint:— '11.—(1) Any services rendered in assisting, or in saving life from, or in saving the cargo or apparel of, an aircraft in, on, or over the sea or any tidal water, or on or over the shores of the sea or any tidal water, shall be deemed to be salvage services in all cases in which they would have been salvage services if they had been rendered in relation to a vessel; and where salvage services are rendered by an aircraft to any property or person, the owner of the aircraft shall be entitled to 356 the same reward for those services as he would have been entitled to if the aircraft had been a vessel. The preceding provisions of this subsection shall have effect notwithstanding that the aircraft concerned is a foreign aircraft, and notwithstanding that the services in question are rendered elsewhere than within the limits of the territorial waters adjacent to any part of His Majesty's dominions. (2) His Majesty may by Order in Council direct that any provisions of any Act for the time being in force which relate to wreck, to salvage of life or property, or to the duty of rendering assistance to vessels in distress shall, with such exceptions, adaptations, and modifications, if any, as may be specified in the Order, apply in relation to aircraft as those provisions apply in relation to vessels. (3) For the purposes of this section, any provisions of an Act which relate to vessels laid by or neglected as unfit for sea service shall be deemed to be provisions relating to wreck, and the expression "Act" shall be deemed to include any local or special Act and any provisions of the Harbours, Docks, and Piers Clauses Act, 1847, as incorporated with any local or special Act, whenever passed.' I could make quite a long speech about the Amendment, but I do not think that the Committee desire that I should do so. Section (11) of the Act of 1920 deals with the question of applying the ordinary law as to the salvage of aeroplanes should they suffer disaster in the seas. That Section has been found to contain minor and technical imperfections, and the object of the Clause is to redraft it, so as to remove those imperfections.