§ 65. Mr. SIMMONDSasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what steps he has taken to ensure the availability as soon as possible of medium-sized airliners of British manufacture to replace those aircraft of foreign manufacture which he has authorised British Airways, Limited, to use on their subsidised services?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for AIR (Sir Philip Sassoon)As stated in my reply to questions on this subject of 18th November, no suitable civil aircraft of British design and manufacture is immediately available or in early prospect for the night mail service upon which the employment of foreign aircraft has been authorised. I cannot, therefore, give any specific assurance that it will be possible to revert to the use of British aircraft within a given time. I need hardly assure my hon. Friend, however, that the whole question is being carefully reviewed.
§ Mr. SIMMONDSIs it not an obligation on my right hon. Friend to see that the necessary British types are developed for these subsidised services and, in view of the fact that the need for this type of aircraft has long been known, will he not, take some definite action to see that this type of British air liner is developed?
§ Sir P. SASSOONThe whole subject has been under active consideration for many months with a view to the formulation of plans designed to enable new civil types of British construction to go into production at an early date.