§ 38. Mr. Knox Cunninghamasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he has completed his inquiries and will now make a statement with regard to Nutts Corner and Alder-grove airfields and the future of Belfast Airport.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (Mr. John Hay)The report of the joint study has now been completed and my right hon. Friend is considering it in consultation with the Secretary of State for Air. He hopes to be able to announce a decision before the summer Recess.
§ Mr. Knox CunninghamI thank my hon. Friend for that reply. I assume 402 that he will be aware that the Answer to a Question asked in February, 1958, was that an expenditure of about £500,000 would be made for this airport. I appreciate that my right hon. Friend may have changed his mind since then, but I would ask him to see not only that an announcement is made before the end of this Session but that the work will be commenced at a very early date. I hope that he will give me some assurance on these points.
§ Mr. HayI told my hon. Friend that we are doing all we can to press on with this matter, but the report is one that has to be studied and considered carefully. We hope to announce a decision before the Summer Recess, not before the end of the Session.