§ 23 and 24. Mr. Montagueasked the Secretary of State for Air (1) whether the British officials attending the preliminary parleys at Montreal, on 24th October, in advance of the Washington Conference on civil aviation, will have authority to press for any definite attitude on the proposals of Australia and New Zealand for the control and operation of international air trunk routes by an international authority or, failing common agreement on this, the establishment of an Empire air board; what is that attitude; and will Parliament be given an opportunity of discussing British policy before the all-in conference meets;
(2) whether he has given consideration to the desirability of setting up a civil aeronautics board to have authority over Empire air lines, similar to the authority existing in the U.S.A. under the Act of 1938, and with similar powers; and whether he will instruct the British delegation attending the Washington Conference that support shall be given to this or any approximately similar project.
§ Sir A. SinclairDiscussions between officials at Montreal will be concerned with operational and technical questions connected with the establishment of air routes between British Commonwealth countries. The hon. Member can, I think, be assured that no proposal will be ruled out from discussion which is likely to facilitate inter-Commonwealth co-operation in this important field. Questions of international organisation are for the ensuing International Conference, and, in this connection, I would refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my Noble Friend the Lord Privy Seal in another place on 10th May last. The last part of Question No. 23 should be addressed to the Leader of the House.
§ Mr. MontagueAre we to be governed in future, in all matters relating to civil aviation, from another place? Does the Secretary of State realise that he has not answered my question as to how this House is to have any mandating of policy on civil aviation before the Conference meets?
§ Sir A. SinclairOf course we are not governed by the proceedings in another place; but it sometimes happens that it is 1733 convenient for a Minister, in reply to a Debate there, to make a statement of policy on behalf of the Government. As regards the latter part of the supplementary question, I can assure the hon. Gentleman that the Government are most anxious to associate this House with them in their deliberations on questions of policy; but the time is not a matter for me, but for the Leader of the House, and perhaps my hon. Friend will address his question to him.
§ Mr. MontagueMay I suggest that it is a matter for the House of Commons, and is the House of Commons to have no opportunity whatever, previous to the Conference on 1st November, of deciding matters of vital interest to civil aviation?
§ Sir A. SinclairI agree that it is a matter for the House of Commons, and that is why I suggested to my hon. Friend that he should address his question to the Leader of the House.
§ Sir Oliver SimmondsCan my right hon. Friend assure the House that our delegates to Montreal will not go tarred with the brush of State monopoly, but, instead will breathe the fresh and virile air of private enterprise?
§ Sir A. SinclairThey will breathe the fresh and virile air of Montreal in these commercial discussions.
§ Mr. BowlesCan my right hon. Friend give the names of our delegates, and can he tell us what was meant by the Lord Privy Seal's expression, on 10th May, "economic competition"?
§ Sir A. SinclairI cannot give the names of the officials at the moment, and I am not quite sure if it would be in Order for me to interpret here and now a phrase in a speech made in another place.
§ Mr. MolsonIs it not the case that there have been no fewer than four Debates on civil aviation in this House, in two of which the hon. Member for West Islington (Mr. Montague) gave the Government bad advice?
§ Mr. MontagueThe bad advice was monopolised by speakers from that side of the House.
§ 25 and 22. Mrs. Tateasked the Secretary of State for Air (1) whether those who represent His Majesty's Government at the 1734 forthcoming Imperial Conference on Civil Aviation are to expound the policy of B.O.A.C. or whether they will have the duty of expounding the British Government's policy with regard to civil aviation;
(2) why the Imperial Conference on Civil Aviation has been convened in such haste; and whether the British delegates are to be sent to attend this conference before there has been any previously declared Government policy in respect of civil aviation.
§ Sir A. SinclairThe arrangements for the forthcoming Commonwealth conversations between officials, have been made not with haste but with deliberation, as a result of consultations between the Governments concerned over a considerable period of time. Our object will be to attain the gratest possible measure of co-operation in the establishment of air routes between Commonwealth countries. Our representatives will, of course, act on the instructions of His Majesty's Government and the recommendations of the officials will be referred to the Governments for approval.
§ Mrs. TateWill this House have an opportunity of knowing what is the policy of the Government with regard to civil aviation, before our delegates are sent to attend the Conference?
§ Sir A. SinclairNo. They are going, as I have said before, to discuss questions that are of an operational and of a technical character. The recommendations of this Conference will have no effect until they have been approved by the Governments concerned, and I think that will be the time when it will be proper to have a discussion.
§ Mr. BowlesMay I ask the Minister whether, supposing agreement is reached at Montreal on the 23rd of this month, it will mean that the Imperial country or Government represented at Indiana on 1st November will go with that policy, and try to push it across the Conference as an agreed policy?
§ Sir A. SinclairNo, Sir. I think that is a great misunderstanding of the objects of the Commonwealth Conference, which is a meeting of the family of the Commonwealth of Nations to discuss questions of an operational and technical character, which are important to the 1735 services between the Commonwealth countries. The International Conference will discuss the broader issues of international air lines throughout the world.
§ Mr. MontagueAre we to have a Parliamentary Secretary in this House?
§ Mr. SpeakerThat is a matter for the Government.
§ Mrs. TateI beg to give notice that, owing to the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment.