HC Deb 25 January 1956 vol 548 c193
30. Mr. Mikardo

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how much money is to be contributed from public funds towards the cost of the British European Airways hangar at Gatwick.

Mr. Watkinson

None, Sir. British European Airways will build what it requires at its own expense on land leased to it by my Ministry.

Mr. Mikardo

Is not it a fact that a large part of the work which will be done in this hangar at Gatwick is work formerly done at Renfrew? Is not it a bit silly to shut down the Renfrew base on the pretext that B.E.A. wants to centralise all the work in London and then proceed to disperse some of it outside London?

Mr. Watkinson

That is quite another question. I am the landlord of Gatwick, not the operating company.

Mr. Strachey

Would not the Minister agree that this illustrates the fact that the decision to abandon the Renfrew base has turned out to have been a catastrophic mistake?

Mr. Watkinson

If the right hon. Gentleman will put down a Question about Renfrew, I shall be delighted to answer it.