HL Deb 05 March 1968 vol 289 cc1223-4

2.45 p.m.

LORD VIVIAN

My Lords, I beg leave 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 agreement has been reached with the British Airline Pilots' Association as to the number of flight inspectors required to carry out their arduous and highly responsible duties; and whether their salary has been agreed.]

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, the Institution of Professional Civil Servants is the staff association recognised to represent the members of the Board of Trade Flight Inspectorate for purposes of negotiation of salaries and conditions of service. It is the responsibility of management to keep under continuous review the number of officers in the Inspectorate required to carry out its functions, though it is open to the Institution to make representations on behalf of its membership. No such representations have been received from the Institution. Following a pay claim made by the Institution, the present salaries of the Inspectorate were introduced by agreement with effect from July 1, 1967.

LORD VIVIAN

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for his fairly full Answer, may I ask him whether he could consider at an early date paying flight inspectors the same money as is paid to senior captains, in view of the responsibility which they have to take?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, that is really a separate question. I should have thought that the payment of salaries was a matter for negotiation. As I said, the present salary levels have been agreed with the appropriate staff organisation. As a matter of interest, however, I understand that the salaries of Flight Operations Inspectors are linked to those of Captains of B.E.A. Viscount aircraft.

LORD VIVIAN

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his answer.

LORD TREFGARNE

My Lords, could the noble Lord say whether the complement of the flight operations inspectorate is up to strength at this time?

LORD BESWICK

No, my Lords. There are difficulties, as the noble Lord will probably know, in recruitment of these very skilled people. But, in fact, there are 30 in post, another three are being recruited, and when they are in post the establishment will then be complete. In addition, there are, of course, 24 flight examiners with another five being recruited, and that, I should have thought, would be adequate for the tasks in hand.