16. Lady Grantasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation whether he will direct B.E.A.C. to run a feeder air service with small aircraft daily between Edinburgh and Aberdeen to connect with the existing daily return service from Edinburgh to London.
§ Mr. LindgrenNo, Sir.
§ Mr. LindgrenBecause the service which has been withdrawn was not patronised and was uneconomic.
Lady GrantAlthough we are all aware that the service did not pay for Dakotas, nevertheless, the suggestion is that small aircraft should be used as feeder aircraft between Aberdeen and Edinburgh. Cannot the Minister, therefore, reconsider the matter very carefully?
§ Mr. LindgrenThe only alternative is the D.H. 89, and I am informed that it would be equally uneconomic.
§ Mr. Hector HughesIs my hon. Friend aware that business people in the North of Scotland require a direct service between Aberdeen and London, and will he take steps to restore it?
§ Mr. LindgrenThey had the opportunity of showing their enthusiasm for a period of six months, and did not take it.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydMay I ask whether there was a service before nationalisation, and, in any case, will the Minister allow a private company to operate this much-needed service?
§ Mr. LindgrenThere was no prewar service. The question of operation by a private company is a matter for arrangement and negotiation with the Corporation under the appropriate Section of the Civil Aviation Act.
§ Mr. J. S. C. ReidDoes it come to this —that, as B.E.A.C. are unable to ran their services economically, and those who can are not allowed to do so, the result is that Scotland has to suffer?
§ Mr. LindgrenIt does not mean that at all. It does mean that where there is an alternative means of surface transport which is an effective competitor with air transport, the opportunities of profit are limited.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe original Question was whether there was to be a feeder air service, but we are now getting very wide of the mark.