§ 17. Mr. Wilson Harrisasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air why high-priority official passengers for the Far East are being marked down to third priority at Calcutta; whether the number of passengers awaiting further transport eastwards from Calcutta is increasing; and what steps are being taken to clear the congestion.
§ Mr. de FreitasPriority Three is the normal category for an important air passage to the Far East; it applied to over 90 per cent, of the Transport Command passengers from this country last month. There has certainly been no down-grading of priorities at Calcutta, though I know that some passengers have been held up there owing to bad weather. On a long route of this kind, some such delays are unavoidable, but they are kept down to a minimum by suspending bookings from this country if there is any considerable hold-up. In this way we should have brought the numbers at Calcutta down again by the end of this week.
§ Mr. HarrisWhat does the hon. Gentleman regard as constituting congestion? Would 100 passengers waiting to go forward be regarded as congestion?
§ Mr. de FreitasThat would be regarded as congestion. The weather conditions are very much against us on that run, but congestion will soon be entirely eliminated.
§ Mr. HarrisHas the hon. Gentleman seen the information, sent to the Department, on which this Question was based? Is it solely weather conditions which are responsible for the delay?
§ Mr. de FreitasI have not seen the letter which the hon. Member sent, but I understand that it is weather conditions that are responsible for the delay.