§ 12. Mr. Awberyasked the Minister of Aviation, in view of the possibilities in the transport of freight by air to relieve road transport congestion, if he will take steps to encourage the development of air cargo carrying services.
§ Mr. MartenI am always anxious to encourage the orderly and economic development of the transport of freight by air. But it is very doubtful whether any conceivable development of air freight services over the next few years could materially reduce the total volume of freight traffic carried on this country's roads.
§ Mr. AwberyIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the carrying of cargo by air is a new service, that there are great potentialities in it and that it could relieve both coastal traffic and traffic on our roads? Is he further aware that it can be developed adequately only by the Government and not by private enterprise? Will he look at this again?
§ Mr. MartenYes, Sir. We always keep this matter under review but we also keep it in perspective. The amount of freight traffic moved by air within the United Kingdom is about 5 million ton miles a year. Almost this amount, on average, is carried every hour on the roads. A one hundredfold increase in air freight traffic on domestic air routes, which is quite inconceivable in the forseeable future, would still represent only 1 per cent. of the present volume of freight traffic on the roads. This is a great problem.