13. Mr. P. Williamasked the Minister of Aviation if he will give sanction to the Sunderland Corporation to construct an airstrip at Usworth.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Aviation (Mr. C. M. Woodhouse)My right hon. Friend has just received Sunderland Corporation's proposal and hopes to be able to give it an answer shortly.
Mr. WilliamsWould my hon. Friend say that particular sympathy will be attached to this application? This local authority has spent £7,500 of the ratepayers' money in a reasonable way, in providing air facilities for part of the north-east area, which particularly needs facilities of this nature. Does not my hon. Friend agree that it is very important that the State should not have to bear the burden of the further provision 919 of airstrip facilities, and that it is much better that this local authority should do so?
§ Mr. WoodhouseIt is certainly our policy to encourage local authorities to establish and maintain aerodromes of the kind that the Sunderland Corporation has in mind. We will consider its application sympathetically, as we always do, but we shall also have to consider it in the light of current financial circumstances.