§ 13. Mr. Mulleyasked the Secretary of State for Air what proportion of air trooping was carried out by Transport Command, and what proportion by contract with civilian companies, in the 12-month period up to the latest convenient date.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Air (Mr. W. J. Taylor)During the twelve months ending 31st December, 1961, Transport Command carried about 4 per cent. of the passengers trooped by air, and civil operators carried the balance.
§ Mr. MulleyThe hon. Gentleman will have seen the Report of the Estimates Committee on trooping. Can he tell us how the inter-Departmental inquiry is going and when he expects its report with regard to the fuller use of Transport Command planes for this purpose?
§ Mr. TaylorFollowing the Report, we are now investigating this matter in detail. Whether it would be an economic proposition in principle has also to be examined in the light of statistics which we have and those which may emerge from this inquiry. Earlier statistics show that it may well be uneconomic.
§ Mr. ShinwellWhat is the reason why only 4 per cent. of the trooping is carried out by Transport Command? Have we not got planes available? Or is it for some other reason?
§ Mr. TaylorDuring 1961 Transport Command provided a great deal of emergency capacity for the Kuwait airlift and the standbys which followed it. That necessarily restricted its flying along the regular routes. There was also, among other things, the British Honduras disaster. In addition—this is a new point—during 1961 we changed to complete air trooping for North-West Europe where Transport Command aircraft do not regularly fly. For the purpose of comparison with earlier years, Transport Command in 1961 carried 6 per cent. of air trooping of passengers on routes other than those to North-West Europe.