HC Deb 29 July 1963 vol 682 cc16-7
23. Mr. Wingfield Digby

asked the Minister of Aviation what action he is taking on the recommendations of the Corbett Report on the British Overseas Airways Corporation.

36. Sir A. Vere Harvey

asked the Minister of Aviation when he will announce his plans for the British Overseas Airways Corporation; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. J. Amery

The recommendations of the Corbett Report are now being studied. I am accordingly not yet in a position to make a statement. I can, however, say that in my view the matter would be best dealt with by a White Paper. I plan that this should be published when the House reassembles after the Recess.

Mr. Digby

If my right hon. Friend publishes this White Paper, will he take the opportunity to state the Government's views on the importance of prestige flights in considering the whole future of B.O.A.C, because many of us wonder what is their real value and would be interested to know the views of the Government on this? It is obviously an argument for maintaining some of the more uneconomic services of B.O.A.C.

Mr. Amery

Yes, Sir. I have my hon. Friend's point very much in mind.

Sir A. V. Harvey

It is disappointing that the whole Report is not to be published. Will my right hon. Friend say how far he will go in the White Paper? It will be very difficult to debate this matter unless hon. Members know the facts. I understand why it cannot be published, but will my right hon. Friend look at this again?

Mr. Amery

I shall do my best to make sure that the White Paper is informative and provides a good basis for debate. As I think my hon. Friend knows, and as I have said in the House before, there are three reasons why we think it would be wrong to publish the Report. The first is that it was commissioned on the understanding that it would be confidential; the second is that it is, after all, only one man's view on the activities of the Corporation; and the third is that it deals with a certain number of matters which are, or could be, of value to B.O.A.C's commercial rivals.

Mr. Lee

Can the right hon. Gentleman say why he asked a firm of accountants to do a job of accounting on a confidential basis? We want to find out what is the financial position of B.O.A.G, which should not depend on confidential matters but on arithmetic. Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the House will want to feel that when we debate this White Paper we are, in fact, debating all those issues germane to the Corbett Report itself and not a truncated report which may well leave out some of the most vital issues?

Mr. Amery

I shall do my best to make sure that the House is given a good basis for debate in the White Paper. I think the hon. Gentleman recognises that nowadays accountants are asked to make inquiries not simply on an arithmetical basis but as consultants into the efficiency of a business.