§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in view of the evidence given at the court martial inquiring into the crash of a Beverley aircraft, they think any changes in the routine and procedure of the maintenance of aircraft at Abingdon R.A.F. station are advisable.]
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, as a result of the crash of the Beverley aircraft near Abingdon on. March 5 last, instructions are being issued that fuel-flow tests should be carried out whenever the fuel system of an aircraft has been disturbed. This will, of course, apply at Abingdon, as elsewhere.
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that reply. Would he allow me to offer him a respectful word of congratulation upon his political promotion? Is the noble Lord aware that in the evidence given at the court martial it transpired that the two fitters who received sentence were engine fitters and not air-frame fitters? Does he not think, in view of that, that more supervision is necessary when mechanics are used on maintenance work of aircraft to which they are not normally accustomed? I thank the noble Lord for what he said, but may I ask him this question. If this system of petrol supply is so prone to bad fitting, should not the design be most scrupulously examined by those responsible for such matters?
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords. I can assure the noble Lord that further inquiries are being made to see whether 290 everything is as it should be in the system of supervision of this particular type of maintenance. I accept the stricture of the noble Lord that it is easy to make a mistake with this particular valve, aria the suggestion for mechanical improvement he has made, which I think has force, will be carefully borne in mind.