§ 58. Mr. LEWISasked the Postmaster-General whether it was by his authority, or with his knowledge, that British Continental Airways were told, when they applied for a licence to run an air service to Scandinavia, that, even if the licence were granted, no tender from them for the carriage of air mails would be considered?
§ Sir P. SASSOONAs the Air Ministry and not the Post Office communicated with British Continental Airways, I have been asked to reply. The answer is that, in pursuance of the recommendations of the Inter-Departmental Committee on International Air Communications, the company were informed in the sense stated by my hon. Friend. Negotiations with another company were already well advanced when British Continental Airways first applied to the Air Ministry for a permit to be obtained from the foreign Governments concerned for the operation of a service to Scandinavia.
§ Mr. LEWISDo I understand that the Air Ministry claim the right to decide this matter? I thought that air mails were a matter for the Post Office.
§ Sir P. SASSOONThe communications came from the Air Ministry, but the recommendation was made by the Committee.