HC Deb 15 March 1967 vol 743 cc489-90

8. Sir A. V. Harvey asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give a direction in the public interest to the British Overseas Airways Corporation to continue to operate undiminished its flights between London and New York from April to June.

Mr. Jay

No, Sir. A direction would not be appropriate. B.O.A.C.'s temporary difficulties over aircraft availability are for the Corporation to resolve.

Sir A. V. Harvey

That is an extraordinary answer. Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that one independent airline offered to operate these 96 flights, which represent a revenue to this country of over £1 million? In the present state of the economy, can the country afford to throw away £1 million to foreign operators? Why is the President of the Board of Trade being so "dog in the manger" about it?

Mr. Jay

I cannot accept the hon. Gentleman's statements without further evidence. The day-to-day running of B.O.A.C. must be in the hands of the B.O.A.C. board rather than the hands of a Minister.

Mr. Lubbock

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that, whatever he says in the House, most knowledgeable people are convinced that B.O.A.C. made a serious error of judgment in cancelling the remaining VC10 aircraft? Will he look into the possibility of resuscitating at least a part of the order so that B.O.A.C. may have its rightful share of traffic on the North Atlantic?

Mr. Jay

I agree that the VC10 is probably the best passenger aircraft operating in the world today. What the hon. Gentleman does not appreciate is that if any different decision had been taken a year ago it would not have had the slightest effect on the situation this year.

Mr. Marten

As all this trouble arose, as the right hon. Gentleman told us earlier, from a fault discovered in the Boeings, may we be told whether from the date when the fault was discovered all the Boeings concerned were grounded?

Mr. Jay

I do not think that it was a question of grounding the aircraft either in the case of the British-owned Boeings or those owned by other countries; but certain modifications had to be made, and that is the programme which is now being carried out.

Mr. Hastings

It is not the slightest good blaming the previous Government for the lack of VC10 aircraft with B.O.A.C. now. Whereas the order may have been placed in suspense earlier, it was the right hon. Gentleman's Government who in March last year cancelled 10. In the light of the present crisis, what has the right hon. Gentleman to say about that?

Mr. Jay

The hon. Gentleman has got all the facts wrong. In the first place, it was not the present Government who cancelled the order. It was done by B.O.A.C. exercising its discretion. In the second place, as I have already pointed out twice, no decision then could possibly have affected the situation this year. There are already eight Super VC1Os on order which have not yet been delivered.