CIVIL AVIATION FLYING UNIT (Hansard, 20 January 1953)

§ LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYE
My Lords, I beg to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ THE EARL OF SELKIRK
My Lords, the Minister of Civil Aviation is responsible for the safety of civil air transport in these islands. This entails, among other things, providing and operating the radio and radar services and the ground lighting required. It also entails licensing civil aircrew. The aircraft of the Ministry of Civil Aviation Flying Unit are employed on work essential to these two duties. On navigational services, this work consists of continuous flight testing and calibration of aids; and of operational trials of procedures and development flying. The Flying Unit is also used for training ground control approach crews and for maintaining flying standards of operations officers at Headquarters. As regards civil aircrew, the Flying Unit examines candidates for instrument rating certification and commercial pilot's licences. The Unit is not provided for the transport of Ministers and officials. Commercial operators are available for this. It is, however, occasionally used for departmental communications where these can be combined with the programme of specialist duties. At the beginning of this year, there were thirteen pilots and seventeen aircraft, shortly to be reduced to fourteen.

§ LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYE
My Lords, I beg to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ THE EARL OF SELKIRK
My Lords, the direct operational cost of maintaining the Ministry of Civil Aviation Flying Unit during the financial year 1951–52 was £210,000. The number of aircraft employed varied in the course of the year; accordingly, a simple average is not representative. Last year the Flying Unit carried out a little under 7,000 hours flying. The Doves average 540 hours, the Consuls 594 hours and the Ansons, which are being disposed of, 350 hours.

§ LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYE
My Lords, in view of the very heavy cost of this Unit and the comparatively low number of flying hours for each aircraft, would the Minister examine the position to see whether some of these functions, such as the testing of pilots and calibration tests, could not be carried out more economically, and just as successfully, by delegating them to other air operational bodies, in the same way as the safety of aircraft was made the responsibility of the Air Registration Board?

§ THE EARL OF SELKIRK
My Lords, I am sure that my right honourable friend will examine anything which might reasonably be an economy in the administration of his Department and that he will examine carefully what the noble Lord, who speaks with such great experience on this question, has said. I must point out, however, that the duties of this Unit are of a highly technical character, requiring very special equipment to be carried in the aircraft, and these aircraft cannot be used easily for alternative purposes. May I also point out, in regard to this work of calibration, which closely relates to safety, that the Minister would be most reluctant to delegate any of his duties in this field? At the same time, I am sure the Minister will look carefully at what the noble Lord has said to see whether anything can be done on the lines he has suggested.

§ LORD OGMORE
My Lords, would the noble Earl also refer his right honourable friend to the fact that this is a most efficient Unit, and that if there is any attempt to break it up, the result will undoubtedly be a falling off of efficiency and an increase in the danger to air communication in this country?

§ THE EARL OF SELKIRK
My Lords, I entirely endorse what the noble Lord, Lord Ogmore, has said. The Ministry of Civil Aviation Flying Unit is a very efficient unit, and I can say quite definitely that there is not the slightest intention to break it up. What I have said is that there may be certain duties which conceivably could be parted with; but at the present time it appears, from the duties carried out by the Unit, that a very fair utilisation of the more modern aircraft is, in fact, achieved.