§ 2.35 p.m.
§ 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 all training flying can be discontinued from R.A.F. airfields on the Sabbath and holy days.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF DEFENCE (LORD MANCROFT)My Lords, training flying in the Royal Air Force on Sundays is already kept to a minimum. Some Sunday flying is, however, necessary to exercise auxiliary fighter control units and other non-Regular units which can practise only at week-ends. In addition, certain major exercises, such as the Annual Defence Exercise, have to extend over weekend periods. For the rest, Sunday training flying is confined to those rare occasions when flying training programmes have fallen into arrear because of bad weather, or when unusual urgency attaches to the completion of the programme. There is normally no training flying on Good Friday or on Christmas Day.
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMy Lords, may I thank the noble Lord for his reply, which I am sure will give a great amount of satisfaction to a large number of people. As I do not wish to weary your Lordships, if I could give the noble Lord specific cases where in my view his Answer does not fit, will he be kind enough to give me an undertaking that he will look into them?
§ LORD MANCROFTCertainly.
§ LORD TEVIOTMy Lords, may I ask a supplementary question? I think I shall be in order in asking the noble Lord who gave such an adequate reply whether 294 anything can be done to stop political speeches on Sunday.
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, that supplementary, I think, hardly arises out of this Question. So far as I know, it applies only to one political Party, for which I am not in a position to answer.