§ 40. Mr. de Freitasasked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware of the shortage of accommodation for Service families in transit through Royal Air Force, Khormaksar, Aden; and what he proposes to do in this matter.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Air (Mr. Airey Neave)Civil charter aircraft carrying Service families on the Far East route do not call at Aden. The few families who are brought back by Comets of Transport Command which refuel at Khormaksar will be able to use the new transit centre which we plan to build at the airfield.
§ Mr. de FreitasWhen the Under-Secretary says that it is planned to build a new transit centre, is he aware that I am referring to the existing conditions? Why have they been allowed to get so bad that Service families suffer in this way?
§ Mr. NeaveVirtually all Service families travelling to and from the Far East travel by civil charter aircraft and 461 do not call at Aden. The families we are talking about come mainly from Ceylon. I quite agree that the conditions at this transit centre are most unsatisfactory. We have been delayed in the building of the new transit centre by the construction of the new runway, but I hope that it will be completed by next year.