§ 36. Mr. de Freitasasked the Secretary of State for Air what link there is between the Flying Personnel Research Committee and those concerned with the medical aspects of long-range high altitude civil flying.
The Under-Secretary of State for Air (Mr. Charles Ian Orr-Ewing)The Chairman of the Flying Personnel Research Committee has been associated with civil aviation for the past ten years, and the Committee keeps in close touch with civil flying problems. These do not differ essentially from the problems presented by military flying.
Subject to considerations of security, Committee papers dealing with the medical aspects of both civil and military flying are circulated to civil aviation interests. Both the Committee and the Institute of Aviation Medicine are ready to give additional information or advice at any time.
§ Mr. de FreitasAlthough there is this link between civil and military flying, will the Under-Secretary consider whether, with the increased importance of high altitude long-range civil aviation, the composition of the Committee today is sufficiently representative? Will he reconsider his reply to see whether it was not deliberately constructed to avoid dealing with high altitude long-range flying?
Mr. Orr-EwingMy right hon. Friend will look at it, but I think that the Committee is doing excellent work and that there is no good reason for changing its membership at the moment.