Mr. Lucasasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is satisfied that adequate arrangements have been made to secure a sufficient flow of trained pilots to meet the likely demands of British civil aviation during the next ten years; how far these arrangements take into account the consequences of the possible ending of National Service should improvements in Regular recruiting permit; and what steps he is taking in conjunction with school and university authorities to make known to potential entrants the opportunities which a career in civil aviation offers.
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§ Mr. WatkinsonResponsibility for ensuring that a sufficient number of trained pilots is available to British civil aviation rests with the operators themselves. I have, however, good reason to suppose that enough pilots will be available from Service and other sources to meet estimated needs for at least the next six or seven years. It is not possible to say in advance whether the ending of National Service would adversely affect the supply. I understand that the airline corporations keep school and university authorities informed regarding the career opportunities afforded by civil aviation. A booklet prepared by my Department on the subject has also been widely distributed.