§ 9. Mr. William Shepherdasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation if he will state the Ministries and Committees which have to be consulted before a British civil aircraft is ordered into production.
§ Mr. LindgrenNo Ministries or Committees have to be consulted before a private operator places an aircraft order. In 182 regard to aircraft for the corporations, orders are placed by the Ministry of Supply. The Departments consulted are the Ministry of Civil Aviation and, when necessary, the Treasury. In the case of new aircraft types such consultation takes place in the Interdepartmental Civil Aircraft Requirements Committee on which the Departments mentioned and the corporations are represented.
§ Mr. ShepherdDoes not this system mean that there is unnecessary obstruction between the user and the manufacturer, and are the Government prepared to continue this system, which has had such bad effects so far in postwar civil aviation?
§ Mr. LindgrenWhile not admitting the inference contained in the latter part of the hon. Member's supplementary question, what he has said in the first part is alleged by certain corporations, and the Government are at the moment looking into the whole procedure about the ordering of aircraft.