§ 24. Mr. Awberyasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if, in view of the rapid development of air transport and helicopter services, he will take steps to develop helicopter stations near large cities, or give powers to local authorities to develop them where they think it desirable in the interests of the city.
§ Mr. HayMy right hon. Friend is watching with the greatest interest the development of the helicopter, but the local authorities are generally in the best position to provide helicopter stations near large cities. They already have the necessary powers, and I am glad that many have, with the Ministry's advice, already earmarked sites.
§ Mr. AwberyIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the experiments which have been made with helicopters have all proved very successful and that some local authorities already have aerodromes and that local authorities want to develop these aerodromes but cannot do anything without assistance and encouragement from the State? Would the hon. Gentleman take the matter up with the Treasury with a view to getting assistance for local authorities to develop aerodromes?
§ Mr. HayWe have given local authorities every encouragement and advice we possibly can. We published a pamphlet in 1956 on the planning of air stations for single-engine helicopters, and we have given further advice to 119 local authorities, including Bristol Corporation. I do not think it would be proper for me in answer to this Question to say that we would be willing to ask the Treasury or anyone else to make grants available, because this matter is still very much in the experimental stage.
§ Mr. Farey-JonesCould my hon. Friend state quite clearly whether his Ministry would be prepared to accept any proposition by private interests to develop the use of helicopters throughout Britain, or is the future restricted to the national undertakings?
§ Mr. HayNo. On the contrary, there is already one helicopter station, which I had the pleasure of opening a few days ago in London, which is operated by a private firm. There is nothing whatever to stop a private firm opening a helicopter station if it wishes, provided it can obtain the necessary planning permission, but our view is that this is a matter which, broadly, should be left to local authorities.
§ Mr. BeswickIs the Minister aware that what local authorities want to know, when they are contemplating providing helicopter stations, is what the likely helicopter services are going to be? Does he share the optimism of my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, Central (Mr. Awbery), who refers to the "rapid development of helicopter services"? Is he aware that it is now eight years since I had the privilege of inaugurating the first service between London and Birmingham? What advice has he given to local authorities about the likely outcome of inter-city services during the next ten years?
§ Mr. HayI think the hon. Gentleman knows that, quite apart from promotional or experimental schemes, helicopter services are just not economic and will not be till we get the bigger machines, like the Rotodyne, in service. We have to wait till that time comes. When it does, we shall be willing to consider what help we can give in developing the service.
§ Mr. WoodburnWill the hon. Gentleman remember that areas where helicopters could be most serviceable are in the Highlands of Scotland, where transport by any other means is not very easy? Can he see any objection now to helicopters flying across water, in view of the fact that it seems to have been disposed of, as we read in the Press about air-sea rescue services and so on? Yet there seems to be a barrier to using helicopters to fly passengers across narrow waterways.
§ Mr. HayNo, There is no barrier. The main trouble at the moment is that a helicopter service would not pay if it were based on the single-engine helicopter, since the sort of prices which would have to be charged for carriage would be so high that the ordinary traveller could not be expected to pay it. We have to wait 1234 till the bigger helicopters come into service, for they will be more economic. We can then look at the Highlands and Islands, and so on..