HC Deb 30 October 1946 vol 428 cc598-600
30. Mr. Erroll

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, when he intends to inaugurate direct air services between the Ringway airport of Manchester and continental cities; and whether he will now publish the routes and separate dates of inauguration.

Mr. Lindgren

The operation of civil air services is, of course, in the first places a matter for the corporations. The British European Airways Corporation, which is concerned in this case, plans to start services to the continent of Europe from different cities in the United Kingdom as soon as the necessary aircraft and ground facilities can be made available. The precise routes to be flown have not yet been determined, and the order of priority for the allocation of aircraft to routes depends on traffic and technical considerations, which are now under examination.

Mr. Erroll

Does the Minister realise that the citizens of Manchester are very disappointed at this bureaucratic delay, and can he explain why even Air France is able to fly a service between Manchester and Paris before we can?

Mr. Lindgren

I cannot explain that in this House, but the hon. Member knows the reasons very well himself

Hon. Members

Oh.

Mr. Lindgren

If the hon. Member does not know, this is not the place to explain it.

Mr. Oliver Stanley

Could we have a better answer to this serious question? I do not know how the hon. Member knows what hon. Members in any part of the House know of a particular subject when they ask a question.

Mr. Lindgren

I have already stated in the original reply to the Question that the difficulties are lack of aircraft and of ground equipment in relation to the airport.

Mr. Erroll

Will the Minister withdraw his remark about the ignorance of hon. Members on this side of the House, because in the next answer he accuses us of knowing all about it?

Mr. Lindgren

I assume that hon. Members who put such Questions down know the types of aircraft flown on the various lines.

Mr. Hogg

Will the hon. Member elucidate his former reply a little more? Does he mean that he is prepared to give private information to individual hon. Members of one sort or another, but is not prepared to give it in the House? If so, what are his grounds of action?

Mr. Lindgren

I am not prepared to answer a question of that sort.

Mr. Hogg

On a point of Order. Is there no means at our disposal by which we can make a Minister answer a question?

Mr. Speaker

Only by raising the matter on the Adjournment.

Mr. Hogg

I beg to give notice that, owing to the most unsatisfactory reply of the hon. Member, I will raise the matter on the Adjournment.