HC Deb 19 December 1945 vol 417 cc1318-9
15. Lieut.-Commander Clark Hutchison

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether, in view of the increasing number of air accidents and the public disquiet which has been aroused, he will consider establishing in the R.A.F. a technical department equivalent in status to that of the engineer-in-chief of the R.N.

Mr. Strachey

I should say that the technical efficiency of the Royal Air Force had, in the last six years, proved itself second to none. A comparison with the technical organisation of the Royal Navy which is designed to meet rather different problems might be misleading, or even invidious. But if the hon. and gallant Member considers that the status of the R.A.F. technical officers is inferior to that of their naval colleagues I would remind him that the technical problems of the R.A.F. are the direct concern of both the Air Member for Supply and Organisation and the Controller of Research and Development, who are members of the Air Council. The Council recognise the enormous importance of technical considerations, and the complex problem of this integration in the postwar Royal Air Force is now under searching examination. I am afraid, however, that this is essentially a long-term problem, the solution of which cannot be expected to have any immediate effect on the accident rate.

Mr. Bowles

How many more accidents is the hon. Gentleman going to put up with in Transport Command before he arranges for some other body to inquire into accidents, other than the Air Ministry itself?

Mr. Strachey

The Air Ministry itself makes the initial inquiry into accidents, but the chief inspector of accidents and his staff, who inquire into all aspects, whether Air Ministry or other, is, if I may use the phrase, a semi-judicial body. There is very ample machinery for inquiry into the cause of accidents.

Mr. Bowles

I am not sure that the hon. Gentleman is perfectly right in saying that. There has just been another accident in which 18 people were killed When the railway companies have an accident they have an impartial inquiry by Colonel Mount; is there any objection to a similar inquiry being held into air accidents and why should not the result of such inquiries be published?

Mr. Strachey

Most exhaustive inquiries are made into these accidents, but they cannot in the case of a fighting service be of exactly the same character as in a civilian industry. The question of the investigation of accidents is very different from the Question on the Order Paper.

Mr. Bowles

rose —

Mr. Speaker

We have only reached Question No. 15 after nearly 25 minutes.