Vote 9. Miscellaneous Effective Services (Hansard, 10 March 1959)

§ Mr. Ross
I notice in Subhead G that in compensation to members of the public we are providing £240,000 this year as against £120,000 last year. This is an Estimate which Provides for compensation payments in respect of injury to the person, or damage to the property, of third parties arising from aircraft, road traffic and miscellaneous accidents". We are actually doubling this provision. Can the Under-Secretary justify this pessimism that there will be more accidents?
In his Memorandum, the Secretary of State made it clear that the number of accidents over the past year had been the lowest ever. We were all gratified by that. Now, I am shocked by this pessimism and wonder what is the reason for it. Alternatively, is it a sudden access of generosity that because there are so many fewer accidents the payments are being doubled?
Whatever the reason, if it were generosity in relation to the possibility of accidents among civilians, there might have been a slight carry-over in the treatment of men in the Air Force. When we look at the compensation for Air Force personnel and civilian staff, we see that the provisional compensation is reduced from £24,000 last year to only £4,000 This year. Can the hon. Gentleman, in the one case, justify his pessimism and, in the other case, justify his optimism, or in the one case, as it may be, generosity and in the other case his mean-heartedness towards Air Force personnel who are to be compensated. for unavoidable loss of, or damage to, uniform, personal equipment, etc., incurred on service …"? We will be very interested to have the hon. Gentleman's answer.

§ Mr. Rankin
I notice that under Subhead U the Secretary of State has decided to sustain the welfare work of the R.A.F. 1211 in Germany by setting aside £30,000 for the Malcolm Clubs. I also notice that in the Supplementary Estimate he was making provision for the rest of this year to the extent of £8,500. I congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on this provision which he is making for these clubs. It proves that when a Minister says "No", he does not always mean "No" and that a little judicious advice applied in the proper way is something to which a Minister of the quality of the Secretary of State for Air will respond. I am sure that an both sides we hope that when we come to the Estimates a year hence the provision will still be there for the Malcolm Clubs.

§ Mr. Neave
In answer to the hon. Member for Kilmarnock (Mr. Ross), the increase under Subhead G of Vote 9 in compensation for losses and damage is due in the main to compensation payments in Germany falling as a charge on United Kingdom funds instead of being borne, as in the past, by German support costs. That is the main reason. In addition, it is not so much a question of pessimism about future accidents as of payment for past accidents. Fairly heavy payments are expected to be made as a result of the Vulcan crash near Detroit, which unfortunately took place recently.
The hon. Member for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Rankin) raised the question of Malcolm Clubs. As the Committee knows, we decided to take no steps as a preliminary to the closing down of the clubs before the end of the year in the hope that during this period Malcolm Clubs will be able materially to improve their financial position. I thank the hon. Member for what he said about my right hon. Friend's attitude.