§ Mr. RAMSBOTHAMasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how many collisions have occurred in mid-air between British machines in this country or overseas in the course of the last 12 months; what has been the loss of life and the value of the machines wrecked; and whether the investigations have shown it to be possible to reduce the frequency of these occurrences?
§ Mr. MONTAGUEDuring the last 12 months 12 collisions in mid-air involving 11 deaths have occurred between Royal Air Force aeroplanes. The original price of the machines involved in these accidents was roughly £50,000, but the actual value at the date of loss is of course very much less; the value of the parts salved cannot be estimated without undue labour. The question of the prevention of accidents is one which engages the continuous attention of my Noble Friend and his expert advisers, with a view to safeguarding by all means in their power the lives of flying personnel. Every individual accident is studied in detail at the Air Ministry with the utmost care, with a view to the incorporation in training instructions of any lessons which may be learnt from it. The attention of all concerned has recently been again specially drawn to the Regulations which are designed to reduce to a minimum the risk of collision.