HC Deb 18 June 1958 vol 589 cc1068-9
14. Mr. Teeling

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will give general directions both to the British Transport Commission and to British Overseas Airways Corporation and British European Airways that they make it possible, as in the United States of America, to telephone from trains and aircraft and to install wireless so that news and other matters of interest can be listened to.

The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (Mr. Airey Neave)

No, Sir. This is a matter for the undertakings themselves, who have already investigated it thoroughly. The general conclusion is that the provision of these facilities would be too costly; on some air routes there are, in addition, technical and language difficulties.

Mr. Teeling

Does not my hon. Friend feel that it is a national matter too? From the point of view of people coming to this country, is not it important that they should have the same facilities as they have in the United States? As regards the train facilities, is not it true that this was tried out before the war, and that one of the reasons it is not being done has something to do with tunnels, because it is necessary to have some outside equipment? On the air side, is not my hon. Friend aware that when people are in difficulties, as I myself have been in coming back and trying to get to places at a certain time, they are informed that only members of the Government are allowed to send down messages of an urgent character?

Mr. Neave

I have no information on the latter part of that supplementary question, and I have no experience of it at the moment. I am sure that it is only in very grave emergencies that any such messages can be sent from an aircraft. My hon. Friend's suggestion is an interesting one, but to make such a scheme pay either on a train or on an aircraft would be prohibitive because of the cost per call. My hon. Friend mentioned the American railroads. Some experiments have been made with the installation of telephomes, radios and such "gimmicks" in trains to attract passenger traffic, but they have not, so far, proved successful.