§ 28. Winģ-Commander Cooperasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation on what date it is expected that the Constellation aircraft on order from the U.S.A. will commence operation on the Atlantic air-route; and if he will publish the financial and statistical calculations which prompted the decision to purchase Constellation aircraft and which indicated that the Transaction would earn more dollars than would be expended on the purchase and maintenance during the time that no similar British aircraft would be available.
Mr. Ivor ThomasWith regard to the first part of the Question, the position remains As stated in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Beswick) on 6th February last. With regard to the second part of the Question, the decision to purchase Constellation aircraft was based on many considerations, including prospective operating costs and revenue earnings. The forecast of such matters is necessarily a matter of estimation and the procedure is one which affects 2669 all aircraft procurement. In view of possible detriment to the operators by publication of such forecasts, it would not be right to make public the particular details to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers.
§ 30. Group-Captain Wilcockasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation whether he can now give delivery dates of the Constellations that we are purchasing from the U.S.A.; and whether crews have been dispatched to the U.S.A. for training on these aircraft.
Mr. Ivor ThomasTwo Constellations are expected to be delivered during this month and three in May. As to the second part of the Question, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for South Blackpool (Wing-Commander Robinson) on 13th February last.