HL Deb 12 April 1949 vol 161 cc1078-9

2.43 p.m.

VISCOUNT SWINTON

My Lords, I beg to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether it is a fact that in the course of a year or eighteen months B.E.A.C. have changed the uniform of their ground staff from blue to grey and back from grey to blue; and if so, what is the reason for the cost of this chopping and changing; and whether the Minister of Civil Aviation has approved this action as conducive to reducing the cost to the taxpayer of this Corporation.]

THE MINISTER OF CIVIL AVIATION (LORD PAKENHAM)

My Lords, this is a question of management for which the Corporation is responsible. I regret, therefore, that I am unable to assist the noble Viscount.

VISCOUNT SWINTON

Arising out of that less informative reply, may I ask the Minister whether he has not stated recently to the House that he has responsibility for reducing the heavy losses and consequent high subsidies of these Corporations? Is he not, therefore, responsible for seeing that excessive expenditure is not undertaken?

LORD PAKENHAM

My Lords, if I may venture to suggest so, it would seem that the noble Viscount is equally dissatisfied, whether in response to a Question he gets much information or whether he gets none. I have certainly accepted a very high degree of responsibility for reducing deficits, and, as the House knows, they are coming down. But the House is also well aware—and I hope agrees—that these problems of management must be left to the Corporations.