HL Deb 09 June 1948 vol 156 cc529-30
LORD POLWARTH

My Lords, I beg to ask His Majesty's Government the question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

[The question was as follows:

To ask His Majesty's Government, whether they will make Services leave travel warrants available for use on scheduled air services.]

THE EARL OF LISTOWEL

My Lords, I am answering this question on behalf of my noble friend Viscount Hall. I am afraid that the Services could not adopt the noble Lord's suggestion. The provision of free rail travel warrants to members of the Forces travelling on leave is already generous. To extend the concession to cover air travel, even if the capacity were available, would impose a heavy additional cost on Service Votes which would not be justified.

LORD POLWARTH

My Lords, I would like to thank the noble Earl for his reply. Arising out of it, may I ask whether it would not be possible for these warrants to be available for use on air services on payment by the holder of the difference between the rail fare and the air fare?

THE EARL OF LISTOWEL

I will certainly draw the attention of the Service Ministers to the point made by the noble Lord.

VISCOUNT SWINTON

My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl to draw the attention, not only of the Service Ministers, but also of the new Minister of Civil Aviation to this matter? Would it not be greatly to the advantage of the Government Air Lines, which lost £10,000,000 last year, to carry a full load on every possible occasion? And would it not, therefore, be highly desirable that, just as Members of Parliament travel by air, members of His Majesty's Forces should also travel by air, when there is room for them on the aircraft, on payment of what is the equivalent of the ordinary normal fare?

THE EARL OF AIRLIE

My Lords, May I ask the noble Earl to take up this matter at the earliest possible moment? I speak from the point of view of men in the Services who are stationed at distances far from their homes. There are times when they cannot get home in the ordinary way, whereas if they were able to use these warrants and travel by air it would make all the difference, on short leaves, between their seeing or not seeing their relations.

THE EARL OF LISTOWEL

I can assure the noble Earl that this matter will be dealt with immediately.