§ 45. Mr. de Freitasasked the Prime Minister if he will now make a statement on changes in the procedure of inquiries into accidents which are the concern of both Service and civilian Departments, such as that which occurred at London Airport, involving the Royal Air Force Vulcan on 1st October, 1956.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Macmillan)Yes, Sir. The accident to the Vulcan aircraft showed that the existing Regulations under the Civil Aviation Act, 1949, do not adequately cover certain types of accident involving civil aviation interests; and it is now proposed that Regulations should be made jointly by the Secretary of State for Air and the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to cover accidents occurring in this country which involve Service and civil aircraft. Service aircraft using civil aviation facilities or civil aircraft using Service aviation facilities.
Investigations under the new Regulations will, in general, conform with the procedure at present followed in regard to civil aircraft accidents and will be made by the Chief Inspector of Accidents and if necessary by public inquiry depending on the circumstances of the case. The resulting report will, however, be submitted to and jointly considered by the Ministers concerned.
The holding of Service boards of inquiry into these accidents will not be affected.