§ 66. Mr. Malcolm MacMillanasked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will make a statement regarding the proposed air service betwene Stornoway and the mainland?
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Air (Captain Harold Balfour)An application has been made by Scottish Airways, Limited, to the licensing authority for a licence for a service from Aberdeen to Stornoway via Inverness. I understand that meantime negotiations for the acquisition by Scottish Airways of a site for an aerodrome at Stornoway have reached an advanced stage: when it has been acquired the preparation of the site for use as an aerodrome will be put in hand.
§ Mr. MacMillanCan the Under-Secretary inform the House when the advanced stage of negotiations is likely to be concluded, as the site was inspected in the spring and we expected that the service would start in the summer? Can he give an assurance that the matter will be expedited?
§ Captain BalfourThe Air Ministry inspected and advised upon the proposed aerodrome site at Stornoway in the spring 1760 of this year, and has given the company a schedule of work to be done on the aerodrome which does not include buildings, and it will probably take nine months to put the work through.