HC Deb 10 March 1954 vol 524 cc2226-7
35. Mr. Sorensen

asked the Undersecretary of State for Air what discrimination is exercised in the training by the Royal Air Force of ex-Luftwaffe pilots for Lufthansa duties; if he is aware that one of the men concerned has served a term of imprisonment for espionage; and why such a person has been accepted for this training

Mr. Ward

The Royal Air Force is not training any of these pilots.

Mr. Sorensen

If the Minister has no connection with the training of these pilots, can he say by whom they are being trained?

Mr. Ward

By a civilian company.

Mr. Sorensen

Is the civilian company in contact with any Government Department?

Mr. Ward

With the Foreign Office.

Mr. Shinwell

Can the hon. Gentleman explain, in view of his answer—which hon. Members naturally accept—why statements appeared in several newspapers to the contrary effect? Can nothing be done about this?

Mr. Ward

I can quite appreciate that there may have been misunderstandings, but I can only reaffirm what I said, that the Royal Air Force has nothing to do with this training, and I must ask hon. Members to refer Questions on this subject to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary.

Dr. King

Will not the Minister take steps to assure himself that none of those airmen who destroyed so much of Southampton in the war are being trained near Southampton?

Mr. Ward

That has nothing to do with me.

Mr. Bowles

May I repeat the question which I put last week or the week before? Is the hon. Gentleman aware that a German pilot who was taught to fly at Brooklands airfield came back during the war, bombed Vickers aircraft factory and killed 40 people in the mess during lunch-time, and was picked up later at Virginia Water, and that another German pilot who was trained at Reading came back during the war and bombed the Miles aircraft factory, and he also bailed out? Is it not time that the Government took this matter rather more seriously?

Mr. Sorensen

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that it is not very helpful to suggest that the Air Ministry has nothing to do with the training of these pilots and later to admit that it is training them in collaboration with the Foreign Office.

Mr. Ward

I did not admit that we were training them in collaboration with the Foreign Office. I meant that any Questions about this training should be addressed to the Foreign Secretary and not to me.